vô tích sự
Definition
- Adjective:
- Useless / Good-for-nothing: Describes a person, thing, or effort that is completely ineffective, serves no purpose, or lacks any value or competence.
- Futile / Pointless: Refers to an action or endeavor that is doomed to fail or produces no meaningful result.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Nó thật là vô tích sự, chẳng làm được việc gì ra hồn. (He is truly useless; he can't do anything properly.)
- Mọi nỗ lực của chúng tôi đều trở nên vô tích sự. (All of our efforts became futile.)
- Đừng mua cái máy vô tích sự đó. (Don't buy that useless machine.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in a strong, critical, or dismissive tone to express deep disappointment or frustration with someone's incompetence or something's ineffectiveness.
Variants and Related Words
- Vô dụng (adj): useless, worthless. A more common, direct synonym.
- Bất tài (adj): incompetent, lacking talent.
Synonyms
- Useless: having no ability or purpose.
- Futile: incapable of producing any useful result; pointless.
- Ineffective: not producing any significant or desired effect.
- Good-for-nothing: contemptibly worthless or useless.
Related Idioms
- Ăn hại: literally "to eat and be harmful," meaning a person who is a burden or consumes resources without contributing.
- Thằng bé đó chỉ biết ăn hại, vô tích sự. (That boy only knows how to be a burden; he's good-for-nothing.)