nát đá phai vàng
Definition
Idiom: - "Even stone erodes and gold fades": A classical Vietnamese idiom describing a solemn vow or promise that, over a very long time, has weakened, faded, or been forgotten. It emphasizes the inevitable erosion of even the strongest commitments by time and circumstance.
Usage Examples
- Idiom:
- Lời thề năm xưa giờ đã nát đá phai vàng. (The vow from years ago has now faded, even stone erodes and gold fades.)
- Tình bạn ấy cuối cùng cũng nát đá phai vàng sau ba mươi năm. (That friendship finally faded after thirty years, even stone erodes and gold fades.)
Advanced Usage
- This idiom is primarily used in literary, poetic, or reflective contexts to lament the loss of a once-powerful bond, love, or promise. It carries a tone of regretful acceptance of time's power.
Word Origin and Structure
- Literal Components: The idiom is a four-word poetic structure common in classical Vietnamese.
- nát: to crumble, to disintegrate.
- đá: stone, rock (a symbol of durability).
- phai: to fade, to lose color or intensity.
- vàng: gold (a symbol of value and permanence).
- The phrase juxtaposes two seemingly immutable materials—stone and gold—to argue that nothing lasts forever.
Synonyms
- To fade away: to gradually disappear.
- To wither: to decline or decay.
- To be forgotten by time: a descriptive phrase for the idiom's meaning.
Related Concepts
- Bền vững như đá: as solid as a rock (an antonymic concept).
- Trường tồn: to last forever, to be eternal.
- Lời thề son sắt: an iron-clad, steadfast vow (often contrasted with the outcome described by "nát đá phai vàng").