Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Plump, chubby: Describes a person, especially a baby or child, who is pleasingly round, full, and healthy-looking, often implying cuteness and good health.
   • Sappy, robust (for plants): Describes a young plant or sapling that is thick, full of sap, and vigorous, indicating it is healthy and suitable for planting.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (for people):

  • Em bé có cánh tay bụ. (The baby has chubby arms.)
  • Thằng bé bụ thật. (The little boy is really plump and healthy.)

• Adjective (for plants):

  • Chọn những cây bụ đem trồng. (Pick out the sappy, robust saplings for planting.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "bụ" is almost exclusively used in descriptive, often affectionate, contexts. It carries a positive connotation of health and vitality, never the negative sense of "overweight" or "obese" that can be associated with the English word "fat."

Variants and Related Words

• Bụ bẫm (adj): An intensified, more common compound meaning very plump, chubby, and healthy (used almost exclusively for babies and young children).
  • Em bé mới sinh trông rất bụ bẫm. (The newborn baby looks very chubby and healthy.)

Synonyms

• Plump: Slightly fat in a pleasant, soft way.
• Chubby: Slightly fat in a way that looks healthy and attractive, especially of babies.
• Sappy: Full of sap; vigorous (for plants).

Related Idioms

• While "bụ" itself is not typically used in idioms, its variant "bụ bẫm" is a fixed, common phrase used to describe a healthy, round baby.
  • Nuôi con cho bụ bẫm. (To raise a child to be plump and healthy.)

adj

1. Plump, chubby, sappy
   • cổ tay em bé bụ
     the baby's wrists were plump
   • chọn những cây bụ đem trồng
     to pick out sappy saplings for planting