Definition

1. Adjective (Tính từ):
   • Slow, sluggish, lacking energy or enthusiasm: Describes a state of moving or acting slowly, lazily, or without vigor. It often implies a lack of alertness or a dreamy, absent-minded manner.
   • Dawdling, dilly-dallying: Refers to the act of wasting time by moving or proceeding very slowly and ineffectively.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sao cậu lại đù đà đù đờ thế? Làm nhanh lên chứ! (Why are you being so slow and sluggish? Hurry up!)
  • Nó có vẻ đù đà đù đờ cả buổi sáng, chẳng tập trung vào việc gì. (He seemed dawdling all morning, not focusing on anything.)
  • Cô ấy bước đi đù đà đù đờ như người mất hồn. (She walked slowly and sluggishly like a lost soul.)

Advanced Usage

• This word is a reduplicative (từ láy) form, specifically of the type "láy đôi" (full reduplication with variation). The base element is "đờ," and "đù đà đù đờ" is an extended, more expressive variant. It emphasizes a greater degree of slowness or listlessness than the simpler form "đù đờ."
• It is primarily used in colloquial Northern Vietnamese speech to describe a person's slow physical movement or mental state. It carries a slightly negative or critical connotation.

Variants and Related Words

• Đù đờ (Adjective): The base reduplicative form meaning slow, sluggish, dawdling.
  • Nó ngồi đù đờ ra đấy cả tiếng đồng hồ. (He sat there dawdling for a whole hour.)
• Lờ đờ (Adjective): A common synonym meaning sluggish, lethargic, slow-moving.
  • Sau trận ốm, anh ấy vẫn còn người lờ đờ. (After the illness, he is still sluggish.)
• Chậm chạp (Adjective): A standard word meaning slow, slow-moving.
  • Tiến độ công việc quá chậm chạp. (The work progress is too slow.)

Synonyms

• Lờ đờ: sluggish, lethargic.
• Chậm chạp: slow, slow-paced.
• Ỳ ạch: moving with great difficulty, very slow and laborious.
• Uể oải: weary, listless, lacking energy.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Làm việc đù đà đù đờ: To work in a slow, dawdling manner.
  • Cả nhóm sẽ không xong việc nếu cậu cứ làm việc đù đà đù đờ thế. (The whole team won't finish if you keep working so slowly and dawdling.)
• Đi đứng đù đà đù đờ: To walk or move around sluggishly.
  • Cậu bé đi đứng đù đà đù đờ vì buồn ngủ. (The boy walked sluggishly because he was sleepy.)

1. xem đù đờ (láy)