phù thế
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The fleeting, transient world; the illusory and impermanent nature of worldly life: "phù thế" refers to the concept that human existence and the material world are temporary, insubstantial, and vain, often carrying a philosophical or melancholic tone about the brevity of life.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Cuộc đời phù thế, mọi thứ rồi cũng sẽ qua đi. (Life is fleeting; everything will eventually pass.)
- Anh ấy nhìn mọi thứ với con mắt của kẻ đã thấu hiểu tính chất phù thế của danh vọng. (He views everything with the eye of one who has understood the transient nature of fame.)
Advanced Usage
- This term is primarily used in literary, philosophical, or reflective contexts. It is not common in everyday conversation.
- It often appears in classical Vietnamese poetry, Buddhist teachings, or writings that contemplate the nature of existence.
Variants and Related Words
- Phù sinh (noun): A direct synonym, also meaning fleeting/transient life. "Phù thế" is defined as being the same as ("như") "phù sinh".
- Kiếp phù sinh (a transient life)
- Phù du (noun): Mayfly; often used metaphorically to describe something extremely short-lived and ephemeral.
- Hạnh phúc phù du (ephemeral happiness)
Synonyms
- Vô thường (noun, from Buddhist philosophy): Impermanence; the principle that all conditioned things are in a constant state of flux.
- Thoáng qua (adjective): Passing, fleeting (less literary, more common).
- Tạm bợ (adjective): Temporary, makeshift (emphasizes lack of permanence or solidity).
Notes on Meaning
- The word is marked as archaic ("arch.") in some references. Its usage today is almost exclusively literary or poetic.
- The core meaning combines the ideas of "floating/unsubstantial" (phù) and "world/generation" (thế), painting a picture of life as something drifting and insubstantial in the grand scheme.
Related Idioms/Phrases
- While "phù thế" itself is often used within larger phrases, a fixed idiom directly containing it is rare. It functions as a poetic noun phrase on its own.
- Conceptually related expressions:
- Cõi tạm (temporary abode): Refers to the world or life as a temporary dwelling place.
- Bèo dạt mây trôi (duckweed drifts, clouds float): An idiom describing a rootless, uncertain, and transient existence.
- như phù sinh