ăn xôi

Definition

1. Verb phrase (slang, humorous):
   • To die (of old age): A colloquial and light-hearted euphemism used to refer to the death of an elderly person. The phrase compares passing away to "eating sticky rice," a food often associated with ceremonial offerings and longevity in Vietnamese culture, thus softening the notion of death.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Cụ ấy đã ăn xôi hồi tuần trước, hưởng thọ 95 tuổi. (He passed away last week at the age of 95.)
  • Nghe nói bà lão hàng xóm đã ăn xôi rồi. (I heard the old lady next door has died.)

Advanced Usage

• This phrase is almost exclusively used in informal contexts and carries a tone of acceptance or mild jest regarding the natural death of the elderly. It is not used for tragic, untimely, or non-natural deaths.

Variants and Related Words

• Qua đời (v): to pass away (neutral and common).
• Từ trần (v): to depart, to decease (more formal/literary).
• Mất (v): to lose, used as "to die" (common and neutral).

Synonyms

• To pass away.
• To kick the bucket (English slang, similar humorous euphemism).

Related Idioms

• While "ăn xôi" itself is a set phrase, it relates culturally to the concept of "ăn" (to eat) in other death-related euphemisms, such as:
  • Ăn cơm mới: (lit. to eat new rice) Another regional euphemism for dying.