chấp cha chấp chới
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective (Descriptive phrase):
- Unsteady, tottering, or teetering: Describes an object or person that is wobbling, swaying, or not firmly fixed, often appearing as if it might fall or collapse at any moment. It implies a precarious, unstable state.
- Flickering or faltering: Can describe a light or flame that is unsteady, blinking on and off, or a sound that is intermittent and weak.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Ngọn nến chấp cha chấp chới trong gió. (The candle flickered unsteadily in the wind.)
- Đứa bé mới tập đi, bước chân còn chấp cha chấp chới. (The toddler just learning to walk, its steps were still tottering.)
- Ánh đèn đường chấp cha chấp chới rồi tắt hẳn. (The streetlight flickered unsteadily and then went out completely.)
Advanced Usage
- This phrase is a reduplicative expression, a common feature in Vietnamese where a base word ("chấp chới") is altered ("chấp cha") to create a more vivid, descriptive, and often onomatopoeic or imitative effect. It emphasizes the repetitive, unstable nature of the action or state.
Variants and Related Words
- Chấp chới (adj, v): The base form, meaning to flicker, to flutter, or to be unsteady.
- Con bướm chấp chới bay. (The butterfly fluttered as it flew.)
- Chập chờn (adj): Similar meaning, often used for flickering light or unstable, dream-like states.
- Ánh sáng chập chờn. (The light flickered.)
Synonyms
- Flickering: (for light/flame) shining unsteadily.
- Tottering: (for movement) moving in an unsteady way.
- Teetering: balancing unsteadily as if about to fall.
- Faltering: losing strength or momentum.
Related Idioms
- While "chấp cha chấp chới" itself is idiomatic, it is often used in descriptive contexts rather than in fixed idiomatic expressions. Its usage paints a vivid picture of instability.
- xem chấp chới