Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Worried; preoccupied; pensive: Describes a state of having many thoughts and concerns, often leading to a serious, thoughtful, or anxious demeanor. It implies being absorbed in thought due to various worries or deep contemplation.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau sự cố đó, anh ấy trông rất đa tư lự. (After that incident, he looked very worried and preoccupied.)
  • Cô ấy có vẻ đa tư lự suốt cả ngày. (She seemed pensive all day long.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is literary and formal. It is often used in written Vietnamese (e.g., literature, formal descriptions) more than in casual conversation to describe a person's thoughtful or troubled state of mind.

Variants and Related Words

• Tư lự (adj): thoughtful, pensive. A shorter, more common form with a similar meaning.
  • Gương mặt tư lự của ông ấy. (His pensive face.)

Synonyms

• Preoccupied: absorbed in thought.
• Pensive: engaged in deep or serious thought.
• Worried: anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.
• Thoughtful: showing careful consideration or absorbed in thought.

Related Idioms

• Mang nặng tư tưởng: to be burdened with thoughts (a similar conceptual phrase).
  • Anh ấy luôn mang nặng tư tưởng về tương lai. (He is always burdened with thoughts about the future.)