vô hạnh
Definition
- Adjective:
- Without morality; immoral; unprincipled: Describes a person who lacks moral character, virtue, or ethical principles. It implies dishonorable or disgraceful behavior.
- Unfortunate; ill-fated: An archaic or literary meaning describing a state of bad luck or misfortune, though this usage is now rare.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Chàng trai vô hạnh đó không đáng được tin cậy. (That immoral young man is not worthy of trust.)
- Hành động vô hạnh của hắn đã làm tổn thương mọi người. (His unprincipled actions hurt everyone.)
- Số phận vô hạnh (an ill-fated destiny) - (This is a literary example of the rarer meaning.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is formal and carries strong negative judgment. It is more severe than simply describing a minor misdeed; it labels a person's fundamental character as corrupt or lacking in virtue.
- It can be used in both personal and formal critiques, such as in literature, ethical discussions, or historical accounts.
Variants and Related Words
- Vô đạo đức (adj): Unethical; immoral. A more common synonym focusing on the lack of ethics.
- Bất hạnh (adj): Unfortunate; unhappy. This is the standard modern word for "unfortunate" and is distinct from the primary moral meaning of .
Synonyms
- Immoral: Not conforming to accepted standards of morality.
- Unprincipled: Lacking moral principles; unscrupulous.
- Depraved: Morally corrupt; wicked. (Stronger connotation)
- Dishonorable: Bringing shame or disgrace.
Related Idioms
- While itself is not commonly part of idioms, it relates to concepts expressed in phrases like:
- Sống vô luân: To live immorally.
- Kẻ bất lương: A wicked/unscrupulous person.