trối
Definition
- Verb:
- To give last words / to utter a dying wish: The primary meaning of "trối" is to express final instructions, wishes, or confessions to loved ones just before death.
- To be fed up / to be sick of: In colloquial usage, "trối" describes a state of being excessively full, bored, or disgusted to the point of being unable to bear more.
Usage Examples
Verb (last words):
- Ông cụ trối lại rằng phải giữ gìn ngôi nhà tổ. (The old man gave his last words that the ancestral home must be preserved.)
- Cô ấy chết đi mà không kịp trối trăng gì. (She passed away without having time to utter any dying wishes.)
Verb (fed up):
- Nghe đi nghe lại câu chuyện ấy, tôi trối cả tai. (Listening to that story over and over, I am utterly sick of it.)
- Ăn ba bát cơm, trối quá! (Eating three bowls of rice, I'm so stuffed!)
Advanced Usage
- "trối trăng": This compound emphasizes the act of giving final, often detailed, instructions or confessions before death. It is stronger than "trối" alone.
- Trước khi mất, bà cụ trối trăng mọi chuyện cho con gái. (Before dying, the old woman confided everything to her daughter.)
Variants and Related Words
- Trối chết (adj/phrase): colloquial expression meaning "extremely" or "to death," often used to intensify a state of being fed up or overwhelmed.
- Bận trối chết! (I'm extremely busy!/I'm busy to death!)
Synonyms
- For last words: To bequeath (a wish), to enjoin, to impart final instructions.
- For fed up: To be disgusted, to be sick and tired, to be satiated (with food).
Related Idioms
- Chết không kịp trối: To die suddenly without a chance to say last words; often used figuratively to mean being caught off guard with no time to prepare or explain.
- Công ty đóng cửa, chết không kịp trối. (The company shut down suddenly, leaving no time to react.)