chồng ngồng
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
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.
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.