tới nước
Definition
- Adverbial phrase:
- To such an extent / to such a point / to such a degree: Used to emphasize that a situation has developed or deteriorated to a serious, extreme, or critical stage. It often, but not always, implies a negative or undesirable outcome.
- To that pass / to that stage: Indicates a particular advanced or final stage in a process or situation.
Usage Examples
- Adverbial phrase:
- Chuyện đã tới nước này rồi sao? (Has it really come to this point?)
- Anh ta chơi bời đến nỗi tới nước phải bán nhà. (He partied so much that it got to the point where he had to sell his house.)
- Cô ấy kiệt sức tới nước không thể ra khỏi giường. (She was exhausted to such an extent that she couldn't get out of bed.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used in rhetorical questions to express shock, disappointment, or resignation about how bad a situation has become.
- It frequently follows clauses indicating cause or reason (introduced by , , ) to highlight the consequential extreme state.
Variants and Related Words
- Tới mức (adverbial phrase): to the extent, to the point. A more neutral synonym.
- Anh ấy mệt tới mức ngủ quên trên bàn. (He was so tired he fell asleep on the desk.)
- Tới hồi (adverbial phrase): to the point/climax (often of a story or process).
- Câu chuyện đã tới hồi kết. (The story has reached its conclusion.)
Synonyms
- To such a point: Emphasizing a specific stage in a progression.
- To that extent: Highlighting the degree or severity.
- To such a pass: A more literary synonym for a bad situation.
Related Idioms
- Tới nước này thì...: Now that it has come to this... (Used to introduce a necessary action or conclusion based on the dire situation).
- Tới nước này thì chỉ còn cách bắt đầu lại từ đầu. (Now that it's come to this, the only way is to start over from the beginning.)
- Dẫn tới nước...: to lead to the point where...
- Những quyết định sai lầm đã dẫn tới nước công ty phá sản. (The wrong decisions led to the point where the company went bankrupt.)