Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Difficult to cure; incurable: Describes a disease or medical condition that is very hard or impossible to treat and heal.
   • Intractable; stubborn: Can describe a problem or situation that is extremely difficult to resolve.

Usage

• As an adjective: Typically placed before a noun (especially 'bệnh' - disease) to modify it.
• Common collocation: Almost always used with 'bệnh' (bệnh nan y).
• Formality: Used in both formal/medical contexts and general conversation.

Usage Examples

• With 'bệnh':
  • Ông ấy đang phải chiến đấu với một căn bệnh nan y. (He is fighting an incurable disease.)
  • Y học hiện đại vẫn chưa tìm ra cách chữa trị cho nhiều loại bệnh nan y. (Modern medicine has not yet found cures for many incurable diseases.)
• Figurative use:
  • Tham nhũng giống như một căn bệnh nan y của xã hội. (Corruption is like an intractable disease of society.)

Advanced Usage

• "mắc bệnh nan y": to contract an incurable disease.
  • Cô ấy đã mắc bệnh nan y từ nhiều năm trước. (She contracted an incurable disease many years ago.)
• "chữa bệnh nan y": to treat an incurable disease.
  • Các bác sĩ vẫn đang nỗ lực tìm phương pháp chữa bệnh nan y. (Doctors are still striving to find methods to treat incurable diseases.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nan (adj): Difficult, hard to solve. Often used in compounds (e.g., nan giải - knotty, intricate).
• Y (n/adj): Medicine, medical. From Sino-Vietnamese (醫).
• Vô phương cứu chữa (phrase): Incurable, beyond remedy. A more descriptive synonym.
• Trầm kha (adj): Chronic, deep-seated (often used with 'bệnh').

Synonyms

• Khó chữa: Difficult to treat.
• Hiểm nghèo: Critical, dangerous (for illnesses).
• Vô phương cứu chữa: Incurable, no remedy.

Related Phrases

• Bệnh tật nan y: Incurable diseases and illnesses.
• Căn bệnh thế kỷ: The century's disease (often refers to HIV/AIDS, a modern 'nan y').

Notes on Meaning

• Core Meaning: The primary and most common meaning is "incurable," specifically regarding diseases.
• Extended Meaning: It can be used metaphorically to describe deeply rooted social or systemic problems that are very hard to eliminate.
• Cultural Context: The term carries a serious, often grave connotation, implying a long-term, severe health challenge.

1. Difficult to cure
   • Bệnh nan y
     A disease difficult to cure