nên nỗi
Definition
Phrase (Conjunction):
- So that / As a result (leading to a negative situation): Used to introduce the consequence or outcome of a previous action or situation, typically an unfortunate, regrettable, or problematic one. It explains how a specific bad situation came to be.
Phrase (Idiomatic):
- Serves (someone) right / Deservedly: Used to comment that someone has received a fitting, often negative, consequence for their actions. It expresses a lack of sympathy, implying the outcome was just.
Usage Examples
Phrase (Conjunction):
- Anh ấy lười học, nên nỗi thi trượt. (He was lazy in his studies, so that he failed the exam.)
- Họ cãi nhau mãi, nên nỗi bây giờ không nói chuyện với nhau. (They argued constantly, as a result they don't speak to each other now.)
Phrase (Idiomatic):
- Hắn ta lừa đảo người khác, nên nỗi bị bắt. (He deceived others, serves him right that he got arrested.)
- Mắng cho nó một trận nên nỗi! (Give him a scolding that he deserves!)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used rhetorically in questions to lament or inquire about the cause of a misfortune.
- Vì đâu nên nỗi này? (Because of what [did this] come to this bad situation?)
Variants and Related Words
- Nên thân: A closely related idiom meaning "serves (someone) right" or "getting one's just deserts," often with a slightly stronger connotation of a fitting punishment.
- Làm điều xấu thì nên thân thôi. (Do bad things and you'll get what you deserve.)
Synonyms
- Therefore / Consequently (for the conjunction sense, but specifically for negative outcomes).
- Thus (archaic or formal in this context).
- Serves (someone) right / It's no more than (someone) deserved (for the idiomatic sense).
Related Idioms
- Vì đâu nên nỗi?: A fixed expression meaning "How did this (bad) situation come about?" or "What led to this misfortune?"
- Nên tội: Similar to "nên nỗi," sometimes used to mean "and so it's a pity/sad" or leading to a regrettable state.
- Thương nó nên tội. (I feel sorry for it, and so it's a pity.)