Definition

1. Verb:
   • To linger, to dawdle, to move or act slowly and without purpose: "cà rà" describes the action of proceeding very slowly, wasting time, or being reluctant to leave a place or finish a task. It implies a lack of urgency or efficiency.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đứa trẻ cà rà mãi không chịu vào nhà. (The child dawdled and wouldn't come inside.)
  • Anh ấy cứ cà rà trên đường, sắp trễ học rồi. (He keeps lingering on the road; he's about to be late for school.)
  • Đừng có cà rà nữa, làm nhanh lên! (Stop dawdling, hurry up!)

Advanced Usage

• "cà rà cà rề": This is a common reduplicative form that intensifies the meaning, emphasizing extreme slowness, procrastination, or reluctance.
  • Nó cà rà cà rề cả buổi mà chưa xong việc. (He's been dragging his feet all morning and still hasn't finished the work.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kề cà (verb): A synonym with the same meaning of lingering or dawdling. "Cà rà" is often explained as "như kề cà" (same as kề cà).
• Lần khân (verb): To procrastinate, to delay.
• Chần chừ (verb): To hesitate, to be indecisive (often leading to delay).

Synonyms

• Lingering: staying in a place longer than necessary.
• Dawdling: wasting time; moving slowly.
• Loitering: standing or waiting around idly without a clear purpose.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "Cà rà" is a verb and does not combine with other words to form phrasal verbs in the same way English verbs do. Its meaning is expressed through the single word or its reduplicated form.)

Related Idioms

• Cà rà cà rề: As mentioned above, this is the idiomatic, intensified form of the verb.
• Lần la lần lần: Another idiomatic expression meaning to linger or move about slowly and aimlessly.

verb

1. như kề cà