Definition

1. Verb:
   • To engrave in one's heart/mind; to remember deeply and forever: "tạc dạ" describes the act of deeply imprinting or engraving something (like gratitude, a memory, or a lesson) into one's heart and mind, implying eternal remembrance and cherishing.
   • To be eternally grateful; to never forget: It conveys a strong sense of lasting gratitude or an unforgettable impression, often used in formal or literary contexts regarding favors, kindness, or significant events.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Ân nghĩa ấy, tôi xin tạc dạ. (For that kindness, I shall engrave it in my heart.)
  • Lời dạy của thầy tôi sẽ tạc dạ suốt đời. (My teacher's instruction, I will cherish for life.)
  • Tấm lòng nhân hậu của bà đã được tạc dạ trong tâm trí mọi người. (Her benevolent heart was engraved in everyone's memory.)

Advanced Usage

• "Ghi lòng tạc dạ": This is a common four-word idiom that intensifies the meaning, translating to "to inscribe in the heart and engrave in the mind," emphasizing an even deeper, unshakable memory or gratitude.
  • Công ơn sinh thành, con cái phải ghi lòng tạc dạ. (The debt of birth and upbringing, children must forever remember.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tạc (verb): To carve, to engrave (literally, as in sculpture). Used figuratively in "tạc dạ".
• Khắc cốt ghi tâm (idiom): A synonym meaning "to carve into the bones and inscribe in the heart," expressing an even more profound level of unforgettable remembrance.

Synonyms

• Nhớ mãi: To remember forever.
• Khắc ghi: To engrave and remember (slightly less literary than "tạc dạ").
• Ghi nhớ: To bear in mind, to remember.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• Tạc dạ ghi lòng: A variation of "ghi lòng tạc dạ," with the same meaning of deeply and eternally remembering.
  • Ân tình ấy tôi đã tạc dạ ghi lòng. (I have engraved that debt of gratitude in my heart and mind.)

verb

1. to cherish