cà nhom
Definition
- Adjective:
- Very thin, skinny, emaciated: Describes a person or animal that is extremely thin, often to the point where bones are visible, suggesting a lack of proper nourishment or health.
- Gaunt, skeletal: Emphasizes a bony, haggard appearance due to extreme thinness.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Sau trận ốm dài, anh ấy trông cà nhom hẳn. (After the long illness, he looks very gaunt.)
- Con chó hoang đói ăn trông thật cà nhom. (That starving stray dog looks terribly skinny.)
- Đừng có ăn kiêng quá mà thành ra cà nhom. (Don't diet so much that you become skeletal.)
Advanced Usage
- "cò hương cà nhom": An alliterative phrase combining "cò hương" (also meaning thin) with "cà nhom" for emphasis, describing someone as extremely thin and frail.
- Cụ già sống một mình nên người cò hương cà nhom. (The old man lives alone, so he is terribly thin and frail.)
Variants and Related Words
- Còm nhom (adj): A common variant with the same meaning (very thin, skinny).
- Thằng bé ăn không đủ nên còm nhom. (The boy doesn't eat enough, so he's very skinny.)
- Gầy nhom (adj): Another synonym combining "gầy" (thin) with "nhom" for emphasis.
- Nó gầy nhom như que củi. (He's as thin as a stick.)
Synonyms
- Gầy gò: Thin and weak-looking.
- Khô héo: Withered, shriveled (often for plants, but can be used metaphorically for people).
- Xương xẩu: Bony, all skin and bones.
Notes on Usage
- Register: "Cà nhom" is considered informal and is often used in spoken Vietnamese. It can carry a tone of pity, criticism, or simple description.
- Connotation: It typically has a negative connotation, describing an undesirable state of extreme thinness, often due to poverty, illness, or hardship. It is not a polite way to describe someone's figure.
- Regional Use: The dictionary note labels it as "dialecte" (dialect), indicating it may be more common in certain regional varieties of Vietnamese.