mất nước
Definition
Verb phrase:
- To lose one's country; to be deprived of national sovereignty: The primary meaning refers to a nation losing its independence and coming under foreign domination or colonial rule.
- To be in a state of national loss: Describes the condition of a people or a nation that is no longer self-governing.
Verb phrase (figurative):
- To be displaced; to lose one's homeland: Can describe the feeling of individuals or groups who have lost their native country or been forced into exile.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Nhân dân cảm thấy đau xót khi đất nước mất nước. (The people felt profound sorrow when the country lost its sovereignty.)
- Giai đoạn lịch sử đó đánh dấu thời kỳ dân tộc bị mất nước. (That historical period marked an era when the nation was deprived of its independence.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is deeply historical and political, often used in contexts discussing colonialism, invasion, or occupation.
- It carries a strong emotional weight, conveying grief, patriotism, and resistance.
Variants and Related Words
Nô lệ mất nước (phrase): a people enslaved due to the loss of their country.
- Họ không cam tâm làm kiếp nô lệ mất nước. (They refused to accept a life as enslaved people without a country.)
Mất nước, nô lệ (phrase): a common paired phrase meaning "loss of country and enslavement."
- Nguy cơ mất nước, nô lệ đã được cảnh báo. (The danger of losing the country and being enslaved was warned.)
Synonyms
- To lose national independence: to be stripped of self-rule.
- To fall under foreign domination: to come under the control of a foreign power.
- To be colonized: to be made a colony.
Related Idioms and Phrases
Mất nước, tan nhà: to lose one's country and for one's family to be scattered. A phrase describing total devastation.
- Chiến tranh khiến nhiều người rơi vào cảnh mất nước, tan nhà. (The war left many people losing their country and their families scattered.)
Nỗi đau mất nước: the pain of losing one's country.
- Bài hát thể hiện nỗi đau mất nước của cả một dân tộc. (The song expresses the pain of losing a country felt by an entire nation.)