ôm trống

Definition

Adjective (colloquial):
- To be pregnant, to be in the family way: A common, informal idiom used to describe a woman who is expecting a baby. It carries a neutral to slightly humorous tone.
- To be with child: An older, more euphemistic meaning, though still used colloquially.

Usage Examples

Adjective:
- Chị ấy đang ôm trống được ba tháng rồi. (She has been pregnant for three months now.)
- Nghe nói cô ấy ôm trống nên sắp về nghỉ. (I heard she is in the family way, so she will be going on leave soon.)

Advanced Usage

The phrase is inherently idiomatic and is almost exclusively used in its fixed form to mean pregnancy. It is not typically broken down or used in other grammatical constructions.

Variants and Related Words

Có bầu (v, colloquial): to be pregnant. A more direct and equally common colloquial term.
- Cô ấy có bầu lần thứ hai. (She is pregnant for the second time.)
Có em bé (v, polite): to be expecting a baby. A softer, more polite expression.
- Họ rất vui vì sắp có em bé. (They are very happy because they are expecting a baby.)
Mang thai (v, standard/formal): to be pregnant. The standard, neutral term used in formal and medical contexts.
- Bác sĩ khuyên phụ nữ mang thai nên ăn uống đủ chất. (Doctors advise pregnant women to eat nutritiously.)

Synonyms

Pregnant: the standard English equivalent.
Expecting: a common, slightly informal English synonym.
In the family way: an English idiom with a similar informal and slightly old-fashioned tone.

Related Idioms

Ăn cho hai người: (lit. "to eat for two people"); to be eating for two. A light-hearted idiom referring to pregnancy.
- Giờ cô ấy phải ăn cho hai người rồi. (Now she has to eat for two.)
Bụng mang dạ chửa: (lit. "carrying belly, bearing womb"); to be heavily pregnant or to emphasize the state of pregnancy. Can have a neutral or slightly negative connotation depending on context.
- Cô ấy bụng mang dạ chửa mà vẫn phải làm việc vất vả. (She is heavily pregnant but still has to work hard.)