thưa
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Thin, sparse, not dense: Describes objects or people that are few in number and spaced far apart within a given area.
- Occasional, infrequent: Describes events or actions that happen rarely or at long intervals.
Verb:
- To respond, to answer (a call): To verbally reply when one's name is called or to acknowledge a summons.
- To address respectfully, to tell (a superior): To speak to someone of higher status (like a parent, teacher, or official) in a polite manner, often to inform or ask permission.
- To complain, to petition (an authority): To formally present a grievance or case to someone in authority, such as a judge.
Particle (Polite Address):
- A respectful word used at the beginning of a sentence when addressing someone older or of higher status, or when speaking to an audience. It functions as a polite honorific similar to "Sir," "Madam," or "Ladies and Gentlemen" in English.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- Tóc anh ấy rất thưa. (His hair is very thin/sparse.)
- Tiếng súng nghe thưa dần. (The sound of gunfire became more occasional.)
Verb:
- Tôi gọi nhưng không ai thưa. (I called but no one answered.)
- Cháu phải thưa với bố mẹ trước khi đi. (You must tell your parents before going.)
- Người nông dân đi thưa quan. (The farmer went to petition the mandarin.)
Particle:
- Thưa ông, ông để quên ví. (Sir, you forgot your wallet.)
- Thưa cô, em có một câu hỏi. (Teacher, I have a question.)
- Thưa quý vị đại biểu! (Honored delegates!)
Advanced Usage
"thưa kiện": to sue, to file a lawsuit.
- Công ty quyết định thưa kiện đối tác. (The company decided to sue its partner.)
"thưa gửi": a polite and humble way to say "to tell" or "to report" to a superior.
- Con có điều muốn thưa gửi với cha mẹ. (I have something I wish to tell you, father and mother.)
Variants and Related Words
Thưa thớt (adj): very sparse, scattered.
- Dân cư trong vùng này còn thưa thớt. (The population in this area is still very sparse.)
Vắng thưa (adj): deserted, with very few people.
- Con đường vắng thưa người qua lại. (The road was deserted, with few passersby.)
Synonyms
- Adjective: sparse, scarce, infrequent, occasional.
- Verb: to answer, to reply, to address, to inform, to complain, to petition.
- Particle: (a polite address marker with no direct single-word equivalent).
Related Idioms
Thưa như tời đục: (Literally: as sparse as a drill's teeth) – meaning very sparse or scarce.
- Nghĩa quân ban đầu còn thưa như tời đục. (The righteous soldiers were initially as scarce as a drill's teeth.)
Gọi dạ bảo vâng / Gọi dạ thưa vâng: (Literally: answer 'yes' when called, say 'yes' when told) – describes an obedient, respectful child or subordinate who always complies.
- Đứa trẻ ngoan ngoãn, biết gọi dạ thưa vâng. (The child is well-behaved, knowing to answer respectfully and obey.)
verb
- to complain to