There’s a folk belief among Vietnamese motorbike travelers: avoid using the word “phượt” before a trip, as it carries unlucky connotations rooted in older Buddhist teachings about negative karma.
The word passed through generations of oral tradition, accumulating its unfortunate associations along the way. Once you understand the origin, the belief makes a strange kind of sense.
Out of respect for the journey — and out of simple caution — I’ve stopped using it in travel plans. Why invite bad energy when good words are available?
— Thiện Minh