Definition

Adjective: - Sad-looking, sorrowful: Describes a person's appearance or demeanor that clearly shows a state of sadness, grief, or melancholy. It emphasizes the external, visible manifestation of inner sorrow.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau tin buồn, khuôn mặt cô ấy trông rất buồn rầu. (After the sad news, her face looked very sorrowful.)
  • Chú chó nằm buồn rầu ở góc nhà, chờ chủ về. (The dog lay looking sad in the corner of the house, waiting for its owner to return.)
  • Đừng nhìn buồn rầu như vậy; mọi chuyện rồi sẽ ổn thôi. (Don't look so sad; everything will be fine.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "buồn rầu" often implies a prolonged or deep-seated sadness that is visibly apparent, more than a temporary fleeting emotion. It is commonly used in descriptive narratives.

Variants and Related Words

• Buồn bã (adj): Sad, sorrowful. Often more general than "buồn rầu," which specifically highlights the outward appearance.

  • Cậu bé cảm thấy buồn bã khi bạn chuyển đi. (The boy felt sad when his friend moved away.)

• Rầu rĩ (adj): Gloomy, dejected. Similar to "buồn rầu" but can sometimes imply a more listless or dispirited state.

  • Thời tiết âm u khiến mọi người trông rầu rĩ. (The gloomy weather made everyone look dejected.)

Synonyms

• Sorrowful: Full of or showing sadness.
• Melancholy: A feeling of pensive sadness, often with no obvious cause.
• Downcast: (Of a person's eyes or expression) looking downward, typically as a sign of sadness.

Related Idioms

• Mặt buồn rười rượi: An idiom describing a face that is extremely and visibly sad, often with tears or deep despair.
  • Nghe xong câu chuyện, anh ấy ngồi im với mặt buồn rười rượi. (After hearing the story, he sat silently with a deeply sorrowful face.)

adj

1. Sad-looking, sorrowful