tử biệt sinh ly

Definition

1. Idiom (Thành ngữ):
   • Parting in life and separation by death: A classical idiom describing the profound grief of two types of heartbreaking separation: permanent separation caused by death ("tử biệt") and the painful parting of living people who are forced to be apart ("sinh ly"). It expresses the ultimate sorrow of human existence.

Usage Examples

• Idiom:
  • Chiến tranh gây ra cảnh tử biệt sinh ly cho hàng vạn gia đình. (War causes the tragedy of parting in life and separation by death for tens of thousands of families.)
  • Câu chuyện tình của họ là một bi kịch của tử biệt sinh ly. (Their love story is a tragedy of life-long parting and deathly separation.)

Advanced Usage

• This idiom is often used in literary, poetic, or formal contexts to evoke deep emotion and tragedy. It is a fixed four-syllable structure common in classical Sino-Vietnamese compounds.

Variants and Related Words

• Âm dương cách trở: An idiom meaning "separated by the realms of the living and the dead," focusing specifically on separation by death.
• Sinh ly: Can sometimes be used independently to mean "parting while alive," though it is most commonly found within the full idiom.
• Tử biệt: Can sometimes be used independently to mean "eternal farewell / parting by death," though it is most commonly found within the full idiom.

Synonyms

• Heartbreaking separation: A general term for a sorrowful parting.
• Tragic parting: A parting that causes great sadness or distress.
• Life and death separation: A more literal translation of the concept.

Related Idioms

• Cách trở sơn khê: Literally "separated by mountains and streams," meaning to be parted by great distance.
• Đau thương chia lìa: A descriptive phrase meaning "painful, sorrowful separation."