Definition

1. Verb:
   • To mislay, to lose (an object): To unintentionally put something somewhere and then forget where it is, making it difficult to find. It implies a temporary or accidental loss, often of a personal item.
   • To become separated from, to go missing (a person, often in a crowd or disaster): To become lost or separated from a group, family, or guardian, making it difficult to locate them. This usage often carries an emotional weight.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Tôi sợ đã thất lạc chìa khóa của mình. (I'm afraid I have mislaid my keys.)
  • Cô ấy thất lạc cuốn sổ tay quan trọng. (She lost an important notebook.)
  • Nhiều trẻ em đã bị thất lạc trong đám đông. (Many children went missing in the crowd.)
  • Gia đình đang tìm kiếm người thân bị thất lạc sau trận lũ. (The family is searching for a relative who went missing after the flood.)

Advanced Usage

• "Làm thất lạc": To cause something to be lost/mislaid. This emphasizes the action of losing.
  • Anh ta đã làm thất lạc hồ sơ. (He caused the documents to be lost.)
• "Bị thất lạc": To be lost/mislaid. This is a common passive construction describing the state of the lost item or person.
  • Chiếc ví bị thất lạc đã được tìm thấy. (The lost wallet has been found.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thất (Verb): To lose, to fail (a broader term). Often used in compound words.
  • thất bại (to fail), thất nghiệp (unemployment), thất tình (heartbroken).
• Lạc (Verb/Adj): To be lost, to stray.
  • lạc đường (to lose one's way), lạc quan (optimistic).

Synonyms

• Làm mất: To lose (more general, can be intentional or unintentional).
• Đánh rơi: To drop (specifically from one's hand).
• Mất tích: To disappear, to go missing (often used for people, implies a more serious or prolonged disappearance).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Thất lạc liên lạc: To lose contact.
  • Họ đã thất lạc liên lạc sau khi tốt nghiệp. (They lost contact after graduation.)

Related Idioms

• Thất lạc như chìm vào cát: Lost as if sinking into sand (to be completely lost without a trace).
  • Những bức thư cũ ấy giờ đã thất lạc như chìm vào cát. (Those old letters are now lost without a trace.)

verb

1. to mislay