uổng mạng
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To die in vain / to lose one's life for nothing: Refers to a death that is pointless, unnecessary, or without a worthy cause. It emphasizes the tragic waste of a life.
- To be killed uselessly: Often used when someone dies due to accident, folly, or in a situation where the death could have been avoided and serves no higher purpose.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Anh ấy chết trong một tai nạn ngớ ngẩn, thật là uổng mạng. (He died in a silly accident; it was such a waste of life.)
- Chiến sĩ đó không uổng mạng; sự hy sinh của anh đã cứu được cả đơn vị. (That soldier did not die in vain; his sacrifice saved the whole unit.)
- Thật uổng mạng khi cô ấy qua đời vì bệnh có thể chữa được. (It was a pointless loss of life for her to die from a treatable illness.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase carries a strong connotation of regret, futility, and tragedy. It is often used in eulogies, critiques of dangerous situations, or historical commentary to judge the value of a death.
- It can be used rhetorically in the negative ("không uổng mạng") to affirm that a sacrifice was meaningful.
Variants and Related Words
- Uổng tử (v): to die a pointless death. A more formal or literary synonym.
- Chết oan (v): to die unjustly or wrongly (often implying innocence). While similar, "chết oan" focuses more on injustice, while "uổng mạng" focuses on futility.
Synonyms
- To die in vain: The most direct equivalent.
- To perish for nothing.
- A wasted life / a futile death.
Related Idioms
- Uổng công vô ích: to waste one's effort in vain. This idiom shares the core concept of futility ("uổng") but applies to effort rather than life.
- Làm việc đó chỉ uổng công vô ích thôi. (Doing that work is just a waste of effort.)