Definition

1. Adjective:
   • In a difficult situation, in a predicament: Describes a state of being in a difficult or awkward situation, often due to unforeseen circumstances or bad luck, leaving one stranded or in a bind.
   • Left in the lurch, abandoned: Implies being left without support or in a state of neglect, often after expectations or plans have failed.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy đang ở trong hoàn cảnh cơ nhỡ sau khi công ty phá sản. (He is in a difficult predicament after the company went bankrupt.)
  • Đứa trẻ bị bỏ rơi, sống cảnh cơ nhỡ. (The abandoned child lives in a state of neglect.)
  • Kế hoạch đổ bể, chúng tôi cảm thấy thật cơ nhỡ. (The plan fell through, and we felt truly left in the lurch.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "cơ nhỡ" is considered quite literary and is often used in written Vietnamese or formal speech to describe a poignant state of difficulty or abandonment.
• It can describe both tangible situations (like being stranded) and emotional states (feeling helpless).

Variants and Related Words

• Cơ lỡ: This is a direct variant with identical meaning and usage to "cơ nhỡ". The two are interchangeable.
  • Mọi chuyện dở dang, thật là cơ lỡ. (Everything is left unfinished, it's truly a predicament.)

Synonyms

• Khó khăn: Difficulty, hardship (more general).
• Bế tắc: Deadlock, impasse (emphasizes no way out).
• Long đong: Vicissitudes, full of hardships (emphasizes a troubled life).
• Lỡ làng: Failed, missed (often regarding opportunities or plans).

Related Phrases

• Cảnh cơ nhỡ: A state of being in a predicament.
  • Họ rơi vào cảnh cơ nhỡ vì thiên tai. (They fell into a predicament because of the natural disaster.)
• Thân phận cơ nhỡ: A destitute or abandoned fate.
  • Câu chuyện kể về thân phận cơ nhỡ của một đứa trẻ mồ côi. (The story tells of the destitute fate of an orphaned child.)