thất hiếu
Học thuậtThân thiện
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.)