Definition

1. Verb (informal, often derogatory):
   • To die; to lose one's life: To cease to live. This term specifically implies a foolish, pointless, or worthless death, often due to reckless action, involvement in a senseless conflict, or a trivial cause. It carries a strong connotation of contempt or disdain for the manner of death.
   • To perish: To be destroyed or die, especially in a violent or untimely way, with an added nuance that the destruction was avoidable or meaningless.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đua xe trái phép rồi toi mạng trên đường. (He engaged in illegal street racing and got himself killed on the road.)
  • Can thiệp vào chuyện của băng đảng, toi mạng là cái chắc. (Meddling in gang business, you'll end up dead for sure.)
  • Nó toi mạng vì một món nợ nhỏ. (He lost his life over a small debt.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is inherently informal and vulgar. It is never used to describe a respectful or heroic death. It often functions as a blunt warning or a harsh critique of someone's risky behavior.
• It can be used rhetorically or hyperbolically to strongly advise against an action.
  • Làm thế là toi mạng đấy. (Doing that is a sure way to get yourself killed.)

Variants and Related Words

• Toi đời (v., informal): A very close synonym, also meaning to die pointlessly or ruin one's life. It can sometimes extend to mean "to be ruined" in a broader, non-fatal sense (e.g., one's career).
• Toi (v., informal): A shortened, even more casual form with the same core meaning of perishing uselessly.

Synonyms

• To perish: To die, especially in a catastrophic or violent manner.
• To get killed: To die as a result of someone else's action or an accident (emphasizes the external cause).
• To die a pointless death: A descriptive phrase capturing the core meaning of "toi mạng".

Related Idioms

• Chết như rạ: To die in great numbers (like fallen rice seedlings). While not identical, it shares the connotation of deaths perceived as wasteful or mass casualties.
• Chết vô ích: To die in vain. This is a more neutral, descriptive phrase for a pointless death, lacking the vulgar contempt of "toi mạng".

verb

1. to lose one's life die