vô thời hạn
Definition
Adjective:
- Without a time limit / indefinite: Describes something that has no predetermined end date or termination point. It continues until a further decision is made or an external condition changes.
- Open-ended / perpetual: Indicates a state or agreement that is intended to last for an unlimited duration.
Adverb:
- Indefinitely / sine die: Used to describe an action, such as a postponement or suspension, that is done without setting a date for resumption.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- Thẻ thành viên này có hiệu lực vô thời hạn. (This membership card is valid indefinitely.)
- Họ ký một hợp đồng vô thời hạn. (They signed a perpetual contract.)
Adverb:
- Cuộc họp bị hoãn vô thời hạn. (The meeting was postponed indefinitely.)
- Dự án bị đình chỉ vô thời hạn. (The project was suspended sine die.)
Advanced Usage
- Legal/Administrative Context: Often used in formal, legal, or bureaucratic language to describe the status of contracts, licenses, bans, or suspensions.
- Lệnh cấm được áp dụng vô thời hạn. (The ban was applied indefinitely.)
Variants and Related Words
- Vĩnh viễn (adj): Permanent, everlasting. Often used interchangeably with "vô thời hạn" but can carry a stronger sense of being eternal or unchangeable.
- Đây là một quyết định vĩnh viễn. (This is a permanent decision.)
Synonyms
- Indefinite: Lasting for an unknown or unspecified length of time.
- Perpetual: Never ending or changing.
- Open-ended: Having no fixed limit.
- Sine die (Latin, formal): Without a day (set for resumption).
Related Idioms
- Hoãn lại vô thời hạn: To postpone indefinitely.
- Tòa án quyết định hoãn phiên tòa vô thời hạn. (The court decided to adjourn the trial indefinitely.)