Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Dirty, filthy, grimy: Describes something covered with a thick, unpleasant layer of dirt, grease, or grime that is often old and difficult to remove. It implies a state of being soiled beyond simple dust or light dirt.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cái bếp này cáu ghét quá, cần phải vệ sinh ngay. (This kitchen is so filthy, it needs to be cleaned immediately.)
  • Sau chuyến đi đường dài, chiếc xe trở nên cáu ghét bụi bặm. (After the long trip, the car became grimy with dust.)
  • Anh ấy mặc một chiếc áo cáu ghét dầu mỡ. (He was wearing a shirt encrusted with grease.)

Advanced Usage

• "cáu ghét" vs. "bẩn": While both mean "dirty," "cáu ghét" emphasizes a sticky, ingrained, or accumulated layer of filth (like grease on a stove, grime on a window). "Bẩn" is a more general term for "dirty" or "unclean."
  • Tay bẩn (dirty hands - from general activity).
  • Tay cáu ghét (grimy hands - covered in thick, sticky dirt or grease).

Variants and Related Words

• Cáu (adj): Often used similarly to "cáu ghét," meaning grimy or encrusted, but can be slightly less intense. It can also mean "irritated" or "annoyed" in a different context.
  • Mặt kính cáu bụi. (The glass is grimy with dust.)
• Ghét (verb): As a separate word, this means "to hate" or "to detest." In the compound "cáu ghét," it intensifies the meaning of "cáu," contributing to the sense of something being disgustingly dirty.

Synonyms

• Bẩn thỉu: Filthy, squalid (often with a stronger connotation of disgust).
• Dơ bẩn: Dirty, unclean.
• Nhem nhuốc: Grimy, smudged (often used for face or clothes).

Related Idioms

• Cáu như mắm tôm: (Lit: Grimy like shrimp paste) An idiom describing something or someone as extremely dirty or grimy.
  • Cái áo sau khi sửa xe cáu như mắm tôm. (The shirt was filthy as shrimp paste after fixing the car.)

1. Dirty, filthy