Definition

Adjective: - Undutiful: Failing to fulfill one's moral obligations, especially those of respect, obedience, and care, towards one's parents. It describes a lack of filial piety. - Unfilial: Behaving in a way that is contrary to the traditional virtues expected of a child towards their parents.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Hành động bỏ mặc cha mẹ già là một hành động thất hiếu. (Abandoning one's elderly parents is an unfilial act.)
  • Theo quan niệm xưa, không vâng lời cha mẹ bị coi là thất hiếu. (According to old beliefs, disobeying one's parents was considered undutiful.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is deeply rooted in Confucian ethics and traditional family values. It is a strong moral condemnation, often used in formal, literary, or serious discussions about moral character and family duty.
• It can be used in a broader, sometimes metaphorical sense to describe a profound betrayal of one's origins or core principles.
  • Một người con thất hiếu với quê hương. (A person who is unfilial to their homeland.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bất hiếu (adj): This is a more common and direct synonym for "unfilial" or "undutiful."

  • Tội bất hiếu là một tội nặng. (The crime of being unfilial is a serious one.)

• Hiếu thảo (adj): The direct antonym, meaning "filial," "dutiful," and "devoted to one's parents."

  • Cô ấy là một người con rất hiếu thảo. (She is a very filial daughter.)

Synonyms

• Undutiful: Neglecting one's duties.
• Unfilial: Lacking in filial devotion.
• Disrespectful (to parents): Showing a lack of respect.

Related Concepts and Idioms

• Tội bất hiếu / tội thất hiếu: The "crime" or "sin" of being unfilial. This highlights the severe moral weight of the term.
• Đạo hiếu: The "way of filial piety," the central virtue that "thất hiếu" violates.
• While not a standalone idiom, the word is central to the traditional saying about grave moral failures: (Disloyal, unfilial, inhumane, and unjust.)

adj

1. undutiful