đầu tắt mặt tối

Vietnamese

Etymology

Literally, “head switched off, face dark”.

Pronunciation

  • (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [ʔɗəw˨˩ tat̚˧˦ mat̚˧˨ʔ toj˧˦]
  • (Huế) IPA(key): [ʔɗəw˦˩ tak̚˦˧˥ mak̚˨˩ʔ toj˨˩˦]
  • (Saigon) IPA(key): [ʔɗəw˨˩ tak̚˦˥ mak̚˨˩˨ toj˦˥]

Adjective

đầu tắt mặt tối

  1. so busy as to leave no time for rest at all
    • 1943, Trần Trọng Kim, “Lời phát đoan”, in Nho-giáo‎[1], volume I, Lê Thăng, page 16:
      […] phải chịu sưu thuế và việc vua việc quan, đầu tắt mặt tối, không có quyền lợi gì.
      […] they have to pay taxes and serve king and officials, toil without rest, and have no rights at all.
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