Definition

1. Adjective (slang):
   • A very long time ago; ages ago: Used to emphasize that something happened in the distant past, often with a colloquial or humorous tone.
   • Extremely old or outdated: Can describe something that is not just old, but antiquated to the point of being irrelevant or forgotten.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Chuyện đó xảy ra từ tám hoánh rồi. (That happened ages ago.)
  • Cái máy tính này cũ từ tám hoánh. (This computer is ancient / has been old for ages.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is inherently informal and is often used for hyperbolic effect to stress the considerable passage of time. It is rarely used in formal writing.

Variants and Related Words

• Từ lâu lắm rồi: A more standard phrase meaning "a very long time ago."
• Thời cổ đại: Meaning "ancient times," used in historical contexts.

Synonyms

• Ages ago: A very long time in the past.
• Eons ago: An extremely long, indefinite period of time (more literary).
• Donkey's years: A long time (informal, idiomatic English).

Related Idioms

• Từ thời tám hoánh: An extended form with the same meaning, "from ages ago."
  • Chiếc xe này được sản xuất từ thời tám hoánh. (This car was manufactured from ages ago.)