Definition

1. Verb:
   • To regret, to feel sorrow or disappointment about something lost, missed, or not done: Expresses a feeling of sadness, repentance, or disappointment over a past event, a lost opportunity, or something that is gone.
   • To be reluctant to part with, to grudge, to be stingy with: Expresses hesitation or unwillingness to spend, use, give away, or lose something because of its perceived value.

Usage Examples

• Verb (to regret):

  • Tôi rất tiếc vì đã không đến dự bữa tiệc của bạn. (I deeply regret not attending your party.)
  • Anh ấy tiếc tuổi thanh xuân đã trôi qua. (He regrets his youth that has passed.)
  • "Rất tiếc, chúng tôi phải từ chối lời đề nghị đó." ("We regret to inform you that we must decline that offer.")

• Verb (to grudge, to be reluctant):

  • Bà ấy tiếc tiền nên không mua chiếc váy đẹp đó. (She grudged the money, so she didn't buy that beautiful dress.)
  • Đừng tiếc mấy quyển sách cũ ấy, hãy tặng chúng đi. (Don't be stingy with those old books; give them away.)
  • Nó tiếc của, không muốn vứt món đồ hỏng. (He is reluctant to part with things and doesn't want to throw the broken item away.)

Advanced Usage

• "Tiếc nuối": A compound word emphasizing a deeper, lingering sense of regret and nostalgia.

  • Cô ấy luôn cảm thấy tiếc nuối về quyết định năm xưa. (She always feels a profound regret about her decision back then.)

• "Tiếc rẻ": A compound word emphasizing regret over a missed opportunity or a wasted chance.

  • Anh ấy tiếc rẻ vì đã bỏ lỡ cơ hội việc làm tốt. (He deeply regrets missing out on the good job opportunity.)

• "Rất tiếc" / "Lấy làm tiếc": Formal phrases used to express polite regret, often in announcements, apologies, or refusals.

  • Rất tiếc, chuyến bay đã bị hủy. (We regret to inform you that the flight has been canceled.)
  • Tôi lấy làm tiếc vì sự bất tiện này. (I am sorry for this inconvenience.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tiếc thương (verb): To mourn, to grieve for (someone who has passed away). Combines "tiếc" (regret) with "thương" (to love, to pity).

  • Mọi người đều tiếc thương người nghệ sĩ tài hoa. (Everyone mourned the talented artist.)

• Ân hận (verb): To repent, to feel remorse. A stronger, more moralistic synonym for the regret sense of "tiếc".

• Xót xa (adjective): To feel heartache, poignant sorrow. Describes a painful feeling of loss.

Synonyms

• Hối tiếc (verb): To regret, to repent. A direct synonym.
• Do dự (verb): To hesitate. Related to the "reluctance" sense.
• Keo kiệt (adjective): Stingy, miserly. A stronger synonym for the "grudging" aspect.

Related Phrases (Common Collocations)

• Tiếc của: To be reluctant to part with possessions; to hate wasting things.

  • Bà cụ tiếc của, cái gì cũng giữ lại. (The old lady hates to throw things away; she keeps everything.)

• Tiếc công: To regret/grudge the effort or work already invested.

  • Đã làm được nửa chừng, tiếc công nên tôi phải làm cho xong. (I've done half of it, and regretting the wasted effort, I have to finish it.)

Related Idioms

• Tiếc đứt ruột: (To regret until one's guts are cut) To regret something immensely, to be heartbroken with regret.

  • Biết tin muộn, anh ấy tiếc đứt ruột. (Finding out too late, he was heartbroken with regret.)

• Của tiếc, công không tiếc: (Spare the possession, don't spare the effort) An idiom encouraging one to be generous with effort/work rather than material things.

verb

1. to regret, to be sorry to grudge