Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Brimful, completely full to the point of overflowing: Describes a container or space that is so full its contents are almost spilling over the top.
   • Crammed, packed: Can describe a place that is extremely crowded with people or things.

Usage

• Primary Use: Used to emphasize an extreme state of fullness. It is more vivid and colloquial than the simple word "đầy" (full).
• Grammar: Functions as an adjective. It typically follows the noun it modifies and is often used with the verb "chứa" (to contain) or "đựng" (to hold).
• Nuance: Carries a connotation of excess, abundance, or even a slight messiness due to being overfilled.

Usage Examples

• Describing a container:
  • Cái bát này đựng cơm đầy phè. (This bowl is brimful with rice.)
  • Anh ấy uống một cốc bia đầy phè. (He drank a glass of beer filled to the brim.)
• Describing a crowded space:
  • Rạp chiếu phim hôm nay đầy phè người. (The cinema is packed full of people today.)
  • Căn phòng nhỏ chứa đầy phè sách. (The small room is crammed full of books.)

Advanced Usage

• "Đầy phè phè": A reduplicated, even more emphatic and informal variant.
  • Túi xách của cô ấy lúc nào cũng đầy phè phè đủ thứ. (Her handbag is always crammed full of all sorts of things.)
• Used figuratively: Can describe a state of being overwhelmed.
  • Đầu tôi lúc này đầy phè những suy nghĩ. (My head is brimful with thoughts right now.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đầy ắp (adj): Also means "brimming, full to capacity," but can sound slightly more poetic or formal than "đầy phè."
• Nghẹt (adj): Means "clogged, jam-packed," often used for traffic or crowds, emphasizing obstruction.
• Chật ních (adj): Means "tightly packed, crammed," focusing on lack of space.

Synonyms

• Đầy tràn: Overflowing, brimming.
• Căng tròn: Round and full (often for cheeks, sacks).
• Chật cứng: Packed tight.

Related Phrases

• Đầy ăm ắp: An idiom meaning "filled to the brim," often used for containers of liquid or grain.
  • Lu gạo đầy ăm ắp. (The rice jar is filled to the brim.)
• Đầy như nêm: An idiom meaning "packed like a wedge/sardines," used for crowded places.
  • Xe buýt đông đầy như nêm. (The bus is packed like sardines.)

Related Idioms

• No đầy phè: To be completely full (from eating).
  • Ăn xong bữa tối, tôi cảm thấy no đầy phè. (After dinner, I felt completely stuffed.)

1. Brimful