thọ chung

Ông cụ thọ chung ở tuổi chín mươi.

Definition

1. Verb (formal, literary):
   • To pass away, to die (used for an elderly person). This is a formal and respectful term specifically used to announce or refer to the death of an old person, implying they lived a full, long life.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cụ ông đã thọ chung tại nhà riêng, hưởng thọ 95 tuổi. (The elderly gentleman passed away at his private residence, at the age of 95.)
  • Tin buồn: bà nội tôi đã thọ chung sáng nay. (Sad news: my grandmother passed away this morning.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is almost exclusively used in formal announcements, obituaries, or respectful speech. It carries a connotation of a natural, dignified end after a long life ("thọ" means longevity).
• It is considered archaic or literary in modern, everyday Vietnamese but remains in use in specific formal contexts.

Variants and Related Words

• Qua đời (v): to pass away. A more common, neutral, and modern formal term for death, not restricted by age.
  • Người nghệ sĩ tài hoa đã qua đời sau thời gian dài chống chọi với bệnh tật. (The talented artist passed away after a long battle with illness.)
• Từ trần (v): to depart from this world. Another formal and respectful synonym.
  • Giáo sư từ trần để lại niềm tiếc thương vô hạn. (The professor departed, leaving behind infinite grief.)

Synonyms

• Pass away
• Die (formal/respectful context)
• Be deceased

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Hưởng thọ: to enjoy longevity; used to state the age at which someone died, often paired with "thọ chung."
  • Cụ bà thọ chung, hưởng thọ 102 tuổi. (The elderly lady passed away, at the venerable age of 102.)