Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Plump, chubby, fat: Describes a person, especially a child or baby, who has a pleasantly round and full body due to being well-fed or having a healthy amount of body fat. It carries a connotation of cuteness and health, not obesity.
   • Fatty, rich (in fat): Can describe food that contains a high amount of fat.

Usage Examples

• Describing a person:

  • Em bé đó trông thật béo mẫm và đáng yêu. (That baby looks so plump and adorable.)
  • Đứa trẻ được ăn uống đầy đủ nên béo mẫm. (The child is well-fed and chubby.)

• Describing food:

  • Món thịt kho này hơi béo mẫm. (This braised pork dish is a bit too fatty.)
  • Tôi không thích ăn miếng thịt béo mẫm. (I don't like to eat the fatty piece of meat.)

Advanced Usage

• "béo mẫm míp": An intensified, more colloquial form emphasizing extreme chubbiness, often used affectionately for babies.
  • Bé gái mới sinh được mấy tháng đã béo mẫm míp. (The baby girl is already so chubby just a few months after birth.)

Variants and Related Words

• Béo (adj): Fat, obese. A more general and sometimes neutral term for fatness.
• Mập (adj): Plump, stout. Similar to "béo" but can sound slightly less direct.
• Mũm mĩm (adj): Plump, chubby (especially for cheeks). Focuses on a cute, round shape.
• Phì nhiêu (adj): Fertile, rich (for land). Not used for people; shares the root "phì" meaning fat/rich with "béo phì" (obese).

Synonyms

• Tròn trịa: Well-rounded, plump (often for body shape).
• Đầy đặn: Full, plump (can refer to face or body).

Notes on Meaning and Connotation

• When describing people, especially infants and young children, "béo mẫm" is overwhelmingly positive, suggesting health, good care, and cuteness. Using it for adults can be impolite unless in a very familiar and affectionate context.
• When describing food, "béo mẫm" is neutral to negative, indicating a high fat content that might be undesirable for some.

1. Fatty