Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Unlucky, unfortunate: Describes a state of experiencing persistent bad luck or misfortune.
   • Ill-fated, jinxed: Suggests a person or situation seems destined to encounter negative events.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy thật là đen đủi khi vừa mất ví lại bị hỏng xe. (He is so unlucky; he just lost his wallet and then his car broke down.)
  • Cô ấy có vẻ đen đủi trong chuyện tình cảm. (She seems to have bad luck in relationships.)
  • Quãng thời gian đen đủi đó cuối cùng cũng qua. (That unlucky period has finally passed.)

Advanced Usage

• "Mặt mũi đen đủi": A set phrase describing someone who looks downcast or bears the visible signs of misfortune.

  • Sau một loạt thất bại, anh ta trông mặt mũi đen đủi. (After a series of failures, he looks down on his luck.)

• "Vận đen đủi": A fixed phrase meaning a streak of bad luck, an unlucky fate.

  • Có vẻ như vận đen đủi vẫn chưa buông tha anh ta. (It seems the streak of bad luck hasn't let go of him yet.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đen (adj): Literally "black"; figuratively means unlucky or sinister (e.g., - bad luck). It is the root word in .
• Xui xẻo (adj): A close synonym meaning unlucky, jinxed.
• Rủi ro (n): Risk, hazard. While related to negative outcomes, it is more about chance and danger than personal misfortune.

Synonyms

• Xui xẻo: Unlucky, jinxed.
• Không may: Unfortunate.
• Bất hạnh: Unhappy, tragic (often stronger, implying deeper sorrow).

Notes on Meaning

• Đen đủi strongly implies a continuous or repeated state of bad fortune, not just a single unlucky event. It often carries a tone of sympathy or commiseration.
• The word combines (black, associated with bad luck) and (which intensifies the meaning), creating a vivid image of pervasive misfortune.

1. Black
   • Mặt mũi đen đủi
     A black face
2. Bad, unlucky
   • Vận đen đủi
     Bad luck, unlucky lot