Definition

Noun: 1. Mayfly, ephemera: A common name for insects of the order Ephemeroptera, known for their very short adult lifespan, often just a few hours or days. They are characterized by delicate, transparent wings and are often seen swarming around lights at night. 2. (Figurative) A person who recklessly throws themselves into danger: Used metaphorically to describe someone who, like the insect drawn to a flame, blindly rushes into perilous situations.

Usage Examples

• Literal meaning:
  • Những con thiêu thân bay vờn quanh ngọn đèn. (The mayflies fluttered around the lamp.)
  • Vòng đời của thiêu thân rất ngắn ngủi. (The life cycle of the mayfly is very brief.)
• Figurative meaning:
  • Hắn lao vào vụ làm ăn mạo hiểm như con thiêu thân. (He plunged into the risky business venture like a moth to a flame.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase "như con thiêu thân" (like a mayfly) is a common simile in Vietnamese to criticize reckless, self-destructive behavior driven by an irresistible attraction to something dangerous or illusory.
  • Cô ấy yêu anh ta say đắm, lao vào như con thiêu thân. (She loved him passionately, throwing herself at him like a moth to a flame.)

Variants and Related Words

• Phù du: Another common Vietnamese name for the mayfly, also used in literary contexts to symbolize transience and fleeting existence.
  • Kiếp phù du (an ephemeral/transient existence).

Synonyms

• Con thiêu thân (literal): Mayfly, ephemera, dayfly.
• Con thiêu thân (figurative): A reckless person, someone who acts like a moth drawn to a flame.

Related Idioms

• Lao đầu vào như con thiêu thân: To dive/plunge headfirst into something (dangerous) like a mayfly. This idiom emphasizes the recklessness and lack of foresight in the action.
  • Nó lao đầu vào cờ bạc như con thiêu thân. (He plunged into gambling like a moth to a flame.)

noun

1. ephemera, mayfly