Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Scrawny, thin and stunted: Describes a person, animal, or plant that is unhealthily thin, underdeveloped, and often appears weak or frail.
   • Bent-backed, hunched: Describes a posture where the back is bent or curved, often due to age, weakness, or carrying a heavy load.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Thin):

  • Đứa bé trông rất còm. (The child looks very scrawny.)
  • Con ngựa còm đó không thể kéo nổi cái xe. (That scrawny horse cannot pull the cart.)
  • Anh ta gầy còm vì bệnh tật. (He is gaunt/thin due to illness.)

• Adjective (Bent-backed):

  • Bà cụ đã còm lưng vì tuổi tác. (The old woman has a bent back due to age.)
  • Anh ấy còm người xuống để nhặt đồ. (He hunched over to pick up the item.)

Advanced Usage

• "còm như que củi": An idiom meaning "thin as a lath" or "skinny as a rake," emphasizing extreme thinness.

  • Sau trận ốm, nó còm đi trông thấy, còm như que củi. (After the illness, he became noticeably thinner, as thin as a lath.)

• "còm nhom": A reduplicative form that intensifies the meaning, translating to "extremely skinny" or "all skin and bones."

  • Đừng có ăn kiêng quá mà thành còm nhom. (Don't diet too much or you'll become all skin and bones.)

Variants and Related Words

• Còng (adj): Bent, curved. Often used interchangeably with "còm" for the meaning "bent-backed" (e.g., ).
• Còi cọc (adj): Stunted, underdeveloped (often for plants or children). Shares the connotation of poor growth with "còm."
• Gầy (adj): Thin, slim. A more general and neutral term for thinness, whereas "còm" implies unhealthy thinness.
• Gầy gò (adj): Gaunt, bony. Similar to "còm" but may emphasize bony protrusions.

Synonyms

• Gầy còm (adj): Gaunt, skinny. A common compound reinforcing thinness.
• Ốm yếu (adj): Sickly and weak.
• Khẳng khiu (adj): Lanky, bony (often for limbs).
• Teo tóp (adj): Shrivelled, wasted away.

Related Phrases

• Đồng còm: A pitifully small amount of money.
  • Anh ấy chỉ kiếm được vài đồng còm. (He only earned a pittance/a few measly dollars.)
• Canh bạc còm: A small, insignificant bet or gambling stake.
  • Họ chỉ đánh những canh bạc còm cho vui. (They only place small bets for fun.)

Notes on Usage

• Register: "Còm" is primarily used in spoken language (khẩu ngữ) and informal contexts.
• Connotation: It carries a negative connotation, describing an undesirable state of being underweight, frail, or hunched. It is not a compliment.
• Context: When describing thinness, it often implies a lack of health or proper nourishment. When describing posture, it implies a permanent or pronounced bend.

adj

1. Scrawny, thin and stunted
   • còm như que củi
     thin as a lath
2. Bent-backed