Definition

Adjective: - Curled up, coiled up: Describes the physical posture of a body or limbs being tightly bent or drawn in, often for warmth, comfort, or due to illness. It implies a state of being hunched or folded in on oneself.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đứa bé nằm chèo queo trong chăn. (The child lay curled up in the blanket.)
  • Mèo con nằm chèo queo bên cạnh mẹ. (The kitten lay coiled up next to its mother.)
  • Ông lão ngồi chèo queo trên chiếc ghế nhỏ. (The old man sat hunched up on the small chair.)

Advanced Usage

• "nằm chèo queo vì lạnh": to lie curled up/coiled up because of the cold.
  • Trời đông, nó cứ nằm chèo queo vì lạnh suốt cả ngày. (In winter, he just lies curled up all day because of the cold.)
• "co người chèo queo": to curl oneself up into a ball.
  • Nghe tiếng động lạ, nó co người chèo queo trong góc. (Hearing a strange noise, it curled itself up in the corner.)

Variants and Related Words

• Co quắp (adj): Contracted, cramped (often due to cold or rigor mortis). Can be more severe than "chèo queo".
  • Bàn tay co quắp vì lạnh. (A hand cramped from the cold.)
• Cuộn tròn (v): To roll up, to coil. This is the action of curling up.
  • Con rắn cuộn tròn trên tảng đá. (The snake coiled up on the rock.)

Synonyms

• Co ro: Huddled, shrunken (specifically due to cold).
  • Ngồi co ro bên bếp lửa. (To sit huddled by the fire.)
• Rúm ró: Shrivelled, wrinkled (often for inanimate objects or due to shrinking). Can sometimes describe a curled-up posture.

Notes on Meaning

• Primary Meaning: The core meaning of "chèo queo" is a physical posture of being curled or coiled. It is not typically used for abstract concepts.
• Connotation: It often carries a connotation of discomfort, weakness, or trying to conserve warmth, as seen in the common phrase "vì lạnh" (because of the cold). It can describe the posture of someone who is sick, cold, or sleeping.

adj

1. Curled up, coiled up
   • nằm chèo queo vì lạnh
     to lie curled up because of the cold