tổn
Definition
- Verb:
- To cost / to incur a loss: To require the expenditure or consumption of something valuable, such as effort, time, or resources, often implying a significant or regrettable depletion.
- To harm / to damage: To cause detriment or injury to something abstract, such as virtue, health, or reputation.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Dự án này tổn nhiều tiền của. (This project costs a lot of money.)
- Làm việc quá sức tổn đến sức khỏe. (Overworking harms one's health.)
- Hành động đó tổn đức. (That action damages one's virtue.)
Advanced Usage
"tổn hao": to deplete, to cause loss or wastage.
- Chiến tranh tổn hao nhiều sinh mạng. (The war caused the depletion of many lives.)
"tổn thất": to suffer a loss or damage (often used as a noun: "tổn thất" meaning "loss").
- Công ty tổn thất nặng sau vụ hỏa hoạn. (The company suffered heavy losses after the fire.)
Variants and Related Words
Tổn hại (v/n): to harm, to cause damage; damage, detriment.
- Lời nói thiếu suy nghĩ có thể gây tổn hại. (Thoughtless words can cause harm.)
Tổn thương (v/n): to hurt, to injure (often emotionally or physically); injury, wound.
- Đừng làm tổn thương người khác. (Don't hurt others.)
Synonyms
- Cost: to require payment or sacrifice.
- Deplete: to reduce the amount of something.
- Harm: to cause damage or injury.
- Impair: to weaken or damage.
Related Idioms
Tổn công, tốn của: to cost effort and money (often paired with "tốn").
- Việc sửa nhà tổn công, tốn của. (Renovating the house costs a lot of effort and money.)
Tổn thọ: to shorten one's lifespan (often used in warnings).
- Lo lắng quá nhiều dễ tổn thọ. (Worrying too much can shorten your lifespan.)