Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Silent and humble: Describes an action, typically a return or arrival, done quietly, without drawing attention, and often with a sense of humility or subduedness.
   • Furtively or stealthily: Can imply moving or acting in a secretive, unobtrusive manner.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Nó bỏ đi vài hôm lại cong cóc về. (He went away for a few days, then silently/humbly came back.)
  • Sau thất bại, nó cong cóc trở về làng. (After the failure, he returned to the village quietly and humbly.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "cong cóc" is highly expressive and onomatopoeic, often used in informal, narrative contexts to paint a vivid picture of a crestfallen or discreet return. It is rarely used to describe other types of actions.

Variants and Related Words

• Lặng lẽ (adj/adv): quietly, silently. (A more common, general synonym without the strong connotation of humility.)
• Lén lút (adj/adv): stealthily, furtively. (Emphasizes secrecy more than humility.)

Synonyms

• Humbly and quietly: With modesty and without noise.
• Stealthily: In a cautious and secretive manner.
• Unobtrusively: Without being noticed.

Related Idioms

• "Cong cóc về nhà": To return home humbly and silently. This is the most typical and idiomatic phrase using "cong cóc".
  • Thua cuộc, nó chỉ biết cong cóc về nhà. (Having lost, he could only slink back home humbly.)

adj

1. Silent
   • nó bỏ đi vài hôm lại cong cóc về
     he went away for a few days, then silently came back