Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having a distended or bloated stomach: Describes a state where the stomach appears swollen, protruding, or unusually large, often due to being full, containing gas, or a medical condition. This is the primary and most common meaning.
   • Figuratively, being full or satiated: Can be used informally to describe feeling very full after eating a large meal.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau bữa tiệc, nó ăn nhiều quá nên trông ếnh bụng ra. (After the party, he ate so much that his stomach looked bloated.)
  • Đứa bé bị đau bụng, bụng ếnh lên trông thấy. (The child has a stomach ache, and his belly is visibly distended.)
  • Ăn no ếnh bụng rồi, giờ chỉ muốn nằm nghỉ. (I'm so full (with a bloated stomach) now, I just want to lie down and rest.)

Advanced Usage

• This word is primarily used in informal, colloquial Vietnamese. It is descriptive and often carries a slightly humorous or vivid tone when describing someone's physical state after overeating.
• It is typically used to describe a temporary physical state rather than a permanent condition.

Variants and Related Words

• Ếnh (adj): The root word, meaning swollen, bulging, or distended. 'Ếnh bụng' is a specific compound of this root.
• Phình bụng (v): To swell/bulge (in the stomach area). More neutral.
• Trướng bụng (adj/v): Bloated abdomen, often due to gas; can be a medical term.
• No căng bụng (idiomatic): Literally "full to a tight stomach," meaning very full.

Synonyms

• Phình ra (v): To bulge out.
• Căng ra (v): To be stretched tight.
• No ứ (adj, informal): Extremely full, stuffed.

Related Phrases (if applicable)

• Ếnh bụng ra: To have one's stomach become bloated/distended. The addition of "ra" emphasizes the change in state.
  • Uống bia xong là ếnh bụng ra ngay. (After drinking beer, my stomach gets bloated right away.)

Related Idioms

• Ăn no ếnh bụng: An informal idiom meaning "to eat until one's stomach is distended," i.e., to eat to absolute capacity.
  • Hôm nay được đãi tiệc, tôi ăn no ếnh bụng. (Today I was treated to a feast, I ate until I was completely stuffed.)

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