tứ khoái

Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition

Noun: - The four (material) pleasures: A colloquial and somewhat vulgar term referring to the four fundamental physical pleasures of human life, according to folk conception. These are specifically: eating, sleeping, sexual relations, and defecation.

Usage Examples
  • Noun:
    • Theo quan niệm dân gian, "tứ khoái" bao gồm ăn, ngủ, làm tình và đại tiện. (According to folk belief, the "four pleasures" include eating, sleeping, sexual relations, and defecation.)
    • Anh ta chỉ lo đến "tứ khoái" mà thôi. (He only cares about the "four pleasures".)
Advanced Usage
  • The term is rooted in a pragmatic, materialistic view of human happiness and is often used with a tone of irony, criticism, or earthy humor. It reduces human existence to basic animalistic functions.
  • It is considered informal and vulgar due to the explicit inclusion of bodily functions. It is not used in formal or polite contexts.
Word Origin and Notes
  • Origin: From Sino-Vietnamese: "tứ" (四 - four) and "khoái" (快 - pleasure, delight). The concept parallels other "four" sets in Eastern philosophy (like "tứ đức" - four virtues) but applies them to base physical instincts.
  • Register: Colloquial, vulgar. It is a slang term.
Related Concepts
  • Tứ đức: The four virtues (for women in Confucian thought: công, dung, ngôn, hạnh - work, appearance, speech, morality). This is a formal, virtuous concept, in direct contrast to the base materialism of "tứ khoái".
  • Vật chất: Material/physical things. "Tứ khoái" is the epitome of materialistic pleasure.
noun
  1. four pleasures