Definition

1. Verb:
   • To spend extravagantly / to squander: The primary meaning of "xài phí" is to use money or resources in a wasteful, excessive, or lavish manner, often beyond what is reasonable or necessary.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ta xài phí toàn bộ số tiền thừa kế trong một năm. (He squandered the entire inheritance in one year.)
  • Đừng xài phí nước sạch như vậy. (Don't waste clean water like that.)
  • Cô ấy có thói quen xài phí vào quần áo và phụ kiện. (She has a habit of spending extravagantly on clothes and accessories.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "xài phí" often carries a strong negative judgment, implying criticism of irresponsible or foolish spending. It is more emphatic than the neutral verb "tiêu" (to spend).

Variants and Related Words

• Xài (v): (Southern Vietnamese dialect) to use, to spend. This is the root, more neutral term.

  • Tôi xài ứng dụng này mỗi ngày. (I use this app every day.)

• Phí phạm (v): to waste, to squander. A close synonym, often used interchangeably with "xài phí".

  • Phí phạm thức ăn là không nên. (Wasting food is not good.)

Synonyms

• Squander: to spend wastefully or extravagantly.
• Waste: to use or expend carelessly or without value.
• Lavish: to bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities.

Related Idioms

• Xài phí xa hoa: to spend lavishly/luxuriously. This phrase intensifies the sense of extravagant spending.
  • Lối sống xài phí xa hoa của anh ấy không thể kéo dài. (His lavish, spendthrift lifestyle cannot last.)