vô tâm
[vo˧˧ təm˧˧]word by word
The English word "inconsiderate" is translated into Vietnamese as vô tâm.
vô tâm is most commonly used to describe someone who is thoughtless or fails to notice the feelings and needs of others. While it can also be used in a more severe sense to mean "heartless", its primary use is for general lack of consideration.
Meaning: not considerate of others (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of vô (without) and tâm (heart/mind/soul), literally meaning "without heart".
How does it change in a sentence?
To emphasize the degree of a person's thoughtlessness, you can add the particle quá after the word to say vô tâm quá, which means "so inconsiderate".
Did you know?
- In a religious or spiritual context, vô tâm can describe a state of 'no-mind' or a mind free from ego, rather than just being a social insult.
- While tâm refers to the spiritual or emotional 'heart' used in vô tâm, Vietnamese has a separate word tim for the physical organ that pumps blood.
- While vô tâm describes a person being inconsiderate, it can also be used to describe a person who is simply absent-minded or distracted from their surroundings.
Examples in context
- Ông ta rất vô ý thức khi lái xe của mình trong khu dân cư.He is very inconsiderate when driving his car in residential areas.
- Đừng hút thuốc ở nơi công cộng, rất bất lịch sự.Don't smoke in public, it's very inconsiderate.
- Anh ấy thật vô tâm.He is so inconsiderate.
- Đừng có vô tâm như vậy.Don't be so inconsiderate.
- Một người vô tâm không biết quan tâm đến người khác.An inconsiderate person does not care about others.
Example conversation
Chi and Minh are discussing a mutual friend's behavior.
- ChiAnh ấy thật vô tâm.He is so inconsiderate.
- MinhĐúng vậy, anh ấy chẳng quan tâm gì cả.That's true, he doesn't care at all.
- ChiChi thấy buồn vì điều đó.Chi feels sad because of that.
- MinhĐừng buồn nữa, Chi.Don't be sad anymore, Chi.
