Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Not selling / Unsaleable: Describes goods, products, or services that are not being purchased; they are slow to sell or have no buyers.
   • Unwanted / Unpopular: Describes a person who is not sought after, often in the context of marriage or relationships, implying they are single because no one is interested.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Goods):
  • Mấy món hàng này ế quá, không ai mua. (These items are so unsaleable; no one is buying them.)
  • Mùa này cá thường bị ế. (Fish often don't sell well in this season.)
• Adjective (Person):
  • Anh ta sợ ế vợ. (He is afraid of being an unwanted husband [i.e., not finding a wife].)
  • Cô ấy than thở rằng mình sắp ế. (She complains that she is about to be left on the shelf.)

Advanced Usage

• "ế ẩm": A reinforced term meaning extremely unsaleable or completely stagnant (for goods).

  • Cửa hàng ế ẩm hàng tháng nay. (The shop's goods have been completely stagnant for months.)

• "ế chồng" / "ế vợ": Specifically describes a woman who cannot find a husband ("ế chồng") or a man who cannot find a wife ("ế vợ").

  • Theo quan niệm cũ, con gái 30 tuổi dễ bị gọi là ế chồng. (According to old views, a 30-year-old woman is often labeled as unwanted for marriage.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ếch (n): frog. (Note: This is a different, homophonous word and is not related in meaning to "ế".)

Synonyms

• Unsaleable: Not able to be sold.
• Unmarketable: Not attractive for sale.
• Unwanted: Not desired by anyone.

Related Idioms

• Ế như cơm nguội: To be as unsaleable/unwanted as cold rice (i.e., very unpopular).

  • Mẫu áo này ế như cơm nguội. (This shirt design is as unsaleable as cold rice.)

• Coiffer Sainte Catherine: (A borrowed French idiom used in Vietnamese context) To remain unmarried past a certain age (typically for women). This is related to the concept of "ế".

  • Bà ấy cười nói mình sắp phải coiffer Sainte Catherine. (She joked that she is about to become an old maid.)

verb

1. do not sell; not saleable