còi cọc
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Stunted, underdeveloped: Describes a person, animal, or plant that is small and weak, not growing to the normal or expected size due to poor health, malnutrition, or unfavorable conditions.
- Scrawny, puny: Can describe something that is thin and appears weak or frail.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Đứa trẻ này trông hơi còi cọc vì thiếu dinh dưỡng. (This child looks somewhat stunted due to a lack of nutrition.)
- Cây cối trong khu vực đó mọc còi cọc vì đất khô cằn. (The plants in that area grow stunted because the soil is barren.)
- Con mèo hoang nhỏ và còi cọc. (The stray cat is small and scrawny.)
Advanced Usage
"còi cọc đi": to become stunted, to fail to thrive.
- Cây non sẽ còi cọc đi nếu không đủ ánh sáng. (The sapling will become stunted if it doesn't get enough light.)
"vóc dáng còi cọc": a stunted/stunted physique.
- Cậu bé có vóc dáng còi cọc so với các bạn cùng tuổi. (The boy has a stunted physique compared to his peers.)
Variants and Related Words
Còi (adj): Often used alone to mean thin, skinny, or underdeveloped. It can be a shorter, more colloquial form.
- Nó ăn nhiều nhưng vẫn còi. (He eats a lot but is still skinny.)
Cọc cạch (adj): Describes something rough, uneven, or not smooth, often used for surfaces or, metaphorically, for awkward movement. It is related in sound but not directly in meaning to "còi cọc."
Synonyms
- Ốm yếu: Sickly, weak.
- Gầy gò: Gaunt, skinny (often with a negative connotation of being too thin).
- Chậm lớn: Slow-growing (specifically for growth rate).
Related Phrases (if applicable)
- Ăn không lớn / Ăn hoài không lớn: An idiom meaning "to eat but not grow," often used to describe a child or animal that remains small and còi cọc despite eating.
- Con bé ăn không lớn, cứ còi cọc mãi. (That girl eats but doesn't grow, she remains stunted.)
Related Idioms
- Cây khô đất cằn: Literally "dry trees, barren land," used to describe a place where nothing thrives, leading to còi cọc growth.
- Vùng này như cây khô đất cằn, trồng cây gì cũng còi cọc. (This area is like dry trees, barren land; whatever you plant becomes stunted.)
- Stunted (nói khái quát)