Definition

1. Verb:
   • To dawdle, to dilly-dally: To act or move slowly, wasting time, often by being indecisive or procrastinating. It implies a lack of urgency or purpose in one's actions.
   • To linger, to loiter: To spend time idly or aimlessly, often in a specific place, without making progress.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đừng có đà đận nữa, chúng ta sắp trễ rồi. (Stop dawdling, we're going to be late.)
  • Cô ấy cứ đà đận ở cửa hàng sách cả buổi chiều. (She kept lingering in the bookstore all afternoon.)
  • Anh ta đà đận mãi không chịu đưa ra quyết định. (He kept dilly-dallying and wouldn't make a decision.)

Advanced Usage

• "đà đận hết thì giờ": to dawdle away all the time.

  • Nó đà đận hết thì giờ buổi sáng. (He dawdled away the whole morning.)

• Often used in a disapproving or critical tone to describe someone's slow, inefficient behavior that causes delay.

Variants and Related Words

• Chần chừ (verb): To hesitate, to delay. (Focuses more on indecision).
• Lần lữa (verb): To procrastinate, to put off. (Focuses more on postponing action).
• Lề mề (adjective): Slow, sluggish, tardy. (Describes a characteristic of being slow).

Synonyms

• Lưỡng lự: To hesitate, to be indecisive.
• Trì hoãn: To delay, to postpone.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Đi đà đận: To walk slowly/dawdlingly.
  • Đứa bé đi đà đận phía sau mẹ. (The child walked dawdlingly behind his mother.)

Related Idioms

• Đà đận như rùa: To dawdle like a turtle. (To be extremely slow).
  • Làm nhanh lên, đừng có đà đận như rùa thế! (Hurry up, don't dawdle like a turtle!)

1. Dawdle, diily-dally
   • Anh chàng lúc nào cũng đà đận
     He is always dilly-dallying