Definitions

1. Adjective:
   • Having one's steps hindered; being impeded in movement: Describes a state where one's ability to walk or move freely is obstructed or restricted, often due to physical obstacles, responsibilities, or commitments that tie one down.
   • Busy with tasks that restrict mobility; tied up with duties: Refers to being occupied with activities or obligations that limit one's freedom to go places or move about.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Chị ấy bận chân vì phải trông ba đứa trẻ nhỏ. (She is tied down because she has to look after three young children.)
  • Đừng làm gì bận chân quá, cuối tuần này chúng ta đi chơi xa nhé. (Don't get yourself too tied up; let's go on a trip this weekend.)
  • Công việc gia đình khiến cô ấy lúc nào cũng bận chân. (Household chores keep her constantly tied down.)

Advanced Usage

• "bận tay bận chân": An idiom meaning "to be extremely busy with manual tasks and duties," emphasizing being occupied to the point where both hands and feet are tied up.
  • Mùa lễ hội, các tiểu thương bận tay bận chân. (During the festival season, the vendors are swamped with work.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bận (adj): Busy, occupied. The core adjective from which "bận chân" is derived.
• Bận rộn (adj): Busy, bustling. A more general term for being busy.
• Vướng víu (adj): To be entangled or obstructed, often physically.

Synonyms

• Bị vướng: To be caught up or entangled.
• Không rảnh rang: To not be free or available.
• Bị cột chân: To have one's feet tied (figuratively).

Related Idioms

• "Bận như chạy đồng": As busy as a runner in the fields; meaning extremely busy.
• "Đầu tắt mặt tối": (Lit: head extinguished, face dark); meaning to be overwhelmingly busy from dawn till dusk.

Notes on Usage

• "Bận chân" is primarily used in spoken and informal written Vietnamese. It vividly conveys a sense of being physically restricted or immobilized by tasks, unlike the more general "bận" (busy), which can refer to mental occupation or schedule fullness.
• It often carries a slightly negative connotation of being unavoidably tied down, sometimes leading to a lack of personal freedom or leisure time.
• The structure is fixed; it is not typical to separate "bận" and "chân" with other words.