Definition

1. Verb:

   • To harbor resentment, to bear a grudge: To feel and hold onto anger, hatred, or deep resentment towards someone or something, often silently or internally.
   • To detest intensely, to loathe: To feel extreme hatred or disgust.

2. Noun (dialectal):

   • Spoke (of a wheel): A rod connecting the center of a wheel to its rim, such as on a bicycle or cart.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Tôi căm những kẻ bất nhân. (I loathe heartless people.)
  • Nó căm thù kẻ đã phản bội mình. (He bears a deep hatred for the one who betrayed him.)
  • Nghe lời nói đó, lòng tôi căm lên. (Hearing those words, my heart filled with resentment.)

• Noun:

  • Xe đạp này bị gãy một cái căm. (This bicycle has a broken spoke.)

Advanced Usage

• "căm hờn": To harbor hatred and resentment. This is a common compound expressing intense, combined feelings of anger and hate.

  • Lòng căm hờn sục sôi. (A boiling feeling of hatred and resentment.)

• "căm thù": To hate, to hold a grudge against. Another common compound emphasizing deep-seated hatred.

  • Nhân dân căm thù bọn xâm lược. (The people hate the invaders.)

• "căm tức": To be resentful and angry. This compound focuses on the anger component of the feeling.

  • Anh ấy căm tức vì bị đối xử bất công. (He is resentful and angry at being treated unfairly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Căm ghét (verb): To detest, to abhor. A synonym compound.
• Căm phẫn (verb): To be indignant and resentful. Implies resentment mixed with a sense of injustice.
• Nan hoa (noun): Standard term for "spoke (of a wheel)". This is the more common, non-dialectal word for the noun meaning.

Synonyms

• Verb:
  • Ghét: To hate, to dislike. (Less intense than "căm").
  • Thù hận: To hold a hatred, to bear a grudge. (Similar intensity, often used together with "căm").
  • Phẫn nộ: To be indignant, furious. (Focuses more on righteous anger).

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Căm gan căm ruột": To be extremely resentful and angry (literally: to resent [to the] liver [and] intestines). Expresses deep, visceral hatred.

  • Hành động của hắn khiến mọi người căm gan căm ruột. (His actions made everyone seethe with hatred.)

• "Mặt căm căm": A face showing clear signs of resentment or sullen anger.

  • Nó ngồi im với mặt căm căm. (He sat silently with a resentful/scowling face.)

noun

1. như nan hoa

verb

1. To bear resentment against
   • căm kẻ chơi khăm mình
     to bear resentment against him who has played a nasty trick on one