bất đắc kì tử

Vietnamese

Alternative forms

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 不得其死 (“to not get one's (usual) death”), from the Analects:

子樂：「若由也，不得其死然。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
Tử lạc: “Nhược Do dã, bất đắc kỳ tử nhiên.” [Sino-Vietnamese]
The Master was pleased. He said, “You there ― he will not die a natural death.”

Compare Chinese 不得其死 (bất đắc kì tử), 不得好死 (bất đắc hảo tử).

Pronunciation
  • (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [ʔɓət̚˧˦ ʔɗak̚˧˦ ki˨˩ tɨ˧˩]
  • (Huế) IPA(key): [ʔɓək̚˦˧˥ ʔɗak̚˦˧˥ kɪj˦˩ tɨ˧˨]
  • (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [ʔɓək̚˦˥ ʔɗak̚˦˥ kɪj˨˩ tɨ˨˩˦]

Idiom

bất đắc kì tử

  1. (colloquial) to die suddenly for no reason at all; to drop dead

See also
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