Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Tall and lanky (with a connotation of immaturity): Describes a person, typically a young man or boy, who has grown tall but whose behavior or demeanor is still considered childish, awkward, or not commensurate with their physical size. It carries a mild tone of criticism or disapproval.

2. Adverb:

   • In a tall and gawky manner: Used to describe an action performed by someone who is tall in an ungainly or immature way.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Thằng bé mới mười lăm mà đã chồng ngồng như thanh niên. (The boy is only fifteen but is already tall and lanky like a young man.)
  • Nó cao chồng ngồng rồi mà tính nết vẫn trẻ con lắm. (He's grown tall and gawky, but his temperament is still very childish.)

• Adverb:

  • Nó đứng chồng ngồng giữa sân, trông rất vụng về. (He stood tall and gawkily in the yard, looking very clumsy.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used to describe young males. It implies a mismatch between physical stature and expected social maturity or competence.
• It often appears in contexts of parental or elder criticism regarding a boy's lack of responsibility or proper demeanor despite his size.

Variants and Related Words

• Cao chồng ngồng: A common collocation emphasizing the excessive and awkward tallness.
  • Nó cao chồng ngồng mà chẳng giúp được việc gì. (He's awkwardly tall but doesn't help with anything.)

Synonyms

• Lanky: Tall, thin, and often ungraceful.
• Gawky: Nervously awkward and ungainly; tall and clumsy.
• Overgrown: Having grown too large, often implying a lack of corresponding maturity.

Related Idioms

• While not a standalone idiom, the phrase "cao chồng ngồng" is a fixed descriptive phrase used to criticize an immature tall person.

adjective

1. tall