tiếc
- 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.
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.)
"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.)
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.
- 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.
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.)
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.
- to regret, to be sorry to grudge