Definition

Adverb: - Violently, uncontrollably (trembling/shaking): Describes a state of intense, visible, and often involuntary shaking or trembling, typically due to strong emotions (like fear or anger), cold, or weakness. - Stubbornly, obstinately (denying): Describes an action, especially denying or refusing, done with persistent and unreasonable stubbornness.

Usage Examples

• Describing violent trembling:

  • Tay chân run bây bẩy. (His/Her limbs trembled violently.)
  • Cô ấy sợ đến nỗi người run bây bẩy. (She was so scared that her body shook uncontrollably.)
  • Trời lạnh, anh ấy đứng co ro, run bây bẩy. (It was cold; he stood huddled, shivering violently.)

• Describing stubborn denial:

  • Nó làm vỡ bình hoa nhưng cứ chối bây bẩy. (He broke the vase but kept denying it stubbornly.)
  • Đã có bằng chứng rõ ràng mà hắn vẫn chối bây bẩy. (There was clear evidence, yet he still denied it obstinately.)

Advanced Usage Notes

• "bây bẩy" is primarily used in spoken Vietnamese and has a strong descriptive, almost onomatopoeic quality, vividly conveying the intensity of the shaking or the stubbornness.
• When describing trembling, it often implies the shaking is visible to others and affects the whole body or limbs significantly.
• When describing denial, it carries a negative connotation, criticizing the person's unreasonable persistence in lying.

Variants and Related Words

• Run (v): to tremble, to shake. "Bây bẩy" is almost exclusively used as an adverb following "run" (run bây bẩy) when describing shaking.
• Chối (v): to deny. "Chối bây bẩy" is a fixed collocation for stubborn denial.
• Run cầm cập (phrase): to chatter (teeth), to shiver (from cold). This is similar but often more specific to cold-induced shivering.
• Ngoan cố (adj): stubborn, obstinate. This is a more formal synonym for the stubborn aspect of "bây bẩy".

Synonyms

• Dữ dội, mãnh liệt (adv): violently, fiercely. (For the trembling sense).
• Ngoan cố, cố chấp (adv): stubbornly, obstinately. (For the denying sense).

Related Phrases/Collocations

• Run bây bẩy (phrase): to tremble/shake violently.
• Chối bây bẩy (phrase): to deny stubbornly/obstinately.

Notes on Different Meanings

1. Primary Meaning (Physical): The most common usage is to modify the verb "run" (to tremble), depicting a physical state of intense shaking.
2. Figurative/Behavioral Meaning: Used to modify the verb "chối" (to deny), transferring the sense of uncontrolled intensity to a behavioral trait of extreme stubbornness. This usage is less common but well-established.

adv

1. violently
   • tay chân run bây bẩy
     his limbs trembled violently