quốc nạn

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • National scourge / National calamity: A severe, widespread, and persistent problem that afflicts an entire nation, causing significant harm to its society, economy, or moral fabric. It implies a deep-rooted issue perceived as a major threat to the country's well-being.
Usage Examples
  • Noun:
    • Tham nhũng được coi là một quốc nạn. (Corruption is considered a national scourge.)
    • Nạn buôn người là một quốc nạn cần phải xóa bỏ. (Human trafficking is a national calamity that must be eradicated.)
    • Chính phủ đang nỗ lực chống lại quốc nạn ma túy. (The government is making efforts to combat the national scourge of drugs.)
Advanced Usage
  • The term "quốc nạn" carries a strong, formal, and grave connotation. It is typically used in political, social, and journalistic discourse to describe issues of the highest level of societal concern, often calling for urgent and unified national action.
Variants and Related Words
  • Tai họa (n): disaster, catastrophe. (A more general term for disaster, not necessarily nation-specific.)
  • Vấn nạn (n): social ill, persistent problem. (A serious problem, but its scope can be societal rather than exclusively national.)
  • Nạn (n): calamity, scourge. (The root word meaning a widespread affliction or disaster.)
Synonyms
  • National plague
  • National blight
  • National epidemic (when referring to a widespread behavioral or health issue)
Related Idioms
  • While "quốc nạn" itself is not typically part of a longer idiom, it is a compound term where "quốc" means nation and "nạn" means calamity. It functions as a standalone, powerful term.