Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Very sad, desolately lonely: Describes a profound, pervasive, and often quiet sadness, typically associated with a sense of emptiness, loneliness, and desolation. It conveys a deeper, more lingering sorrow than the simple word "buồn" (sad).

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Căn phòng trống vắng khiến cô cảm thấy buồn tênh. (The empty room made her feel desolately lonely.)
  • Sau khi mọi người ra về, không khí trở nên buồn tênh. (After everyone left, the atmosphere became profoundly sad.)
  • Anh ấy ngồi một mình với tâm trạng buồn tênh. (He sat alone with a deeply sorrowful mood.)

Advanced Usage

• "Buồn tênh" is often used to describe atmospheres, moods, or scenes that evoke a deep sense of melancholy and solitude. It is more literary and evocative than conversational.
  • Con phố nhỏ buổi chiều mưa thật buồn tênh. (The small street on a rainy afternoon was truly desolate and sad.)

Variants and Related Words

• Buồn (adj): Sad, unhappy. This is the root and more common, general term.
• Buồn bã (adj): Sorrowful, mournful. Slightly stronger than "buồn" but less specific than "buồn tênh".
• Buồn thảm (adj): Tragic, grievous. Implies a sadness connected to misfortune or tragedy.
• Hiu quạnh (adj): Desolate, deserted. Often describes places, contributing to a "buồn tênh" feeling.

Synonyms

• Cô đơn, lẻ loi: Lonely, solitary (focuses on the state of being alone, which can cause "buồn tênh").
• Thê lương: Dreary, bleak (often describes landscapes or situations).
• Sầu muộn: Melancholic, gloomy (a more formal or literary synonym for deep sadness).

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Buồn như chiếu rách: As sad as a torn mat (an idiom expressing great sadness).
• Buồn thiu: Very sad, listlessly sad (similar to "buồn tênh" but can imply a stagnant, lifeless sadness).
• Cảnh vật tiêu điều, lòng người buồn tênh: The scene is bleak, the person's heart is desolately sad (a common poetic pairing).

1. Very sad