không cửa

/xoŋ˧˩ kɨə˧˩/

no way out

Tôi bị kẹt giữa hai lựa chọn, không cửa nào tốt cả.

I'm stuck between two choices, neither of which is good.

informal

A situation with no possible escape or solution; a dead end.

Với khoản nợ này, tôi hoàn toàn không cửa.

With this debt, I have no way out.

Sau khi thất bại, anh ấy cảm thấy không cửa sống.

After the failure, he felt like there was no way out.

Often used to express extreme desperation or hopelessness in a situation.

Collocations

không cửa nàono way out at allhoàn toàn không cửacompletely no way out

Synonyms

bí đường tuyệt lộ không lối thoát

Antonyms

có lối thoát giải pháp

Related Phrases

bước đường cùngidiom

at the end of one's rope

tuyệt vọngword

desperate

Pro Tip

Avoid literal translation

Do not translate 'không cửa' word-for-word as 'no door'. The phrase functions as a metaphor for hopelessness, not a physical absence of doors.

Gold Rule

Context matters

Use 'không cửa' for emotional or situational dead ends, not literal ones. For example, it fits a sentence like 'I have no way out of this debt,' but not 'This room has no door.'

Word Origin

Literally 'no door' in Vietnamese, implying a pathless or exitless situation. The phrase metaphorically extends the idea of physical confinement to emotional or situational deadlocks.

Usage Notes

Commonly used in spoken Vietnamese to describe personal crises, financial ruin, or emotional despair. Avoid using in formal or professional contexts where more neutral phrasing (e.g., 'không có giải pháp') would be appropriate.

Word Breakdown

không

no/not

adverb

cửa

door

noun

Từ Điển Việt Anh

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