Definition

Adjective: * Shivering, bitterly cold, piercingly cold: Describes an intense, biting cold that causes one to shiver or tremble. It emphasizes the physical sensation of coldness penetrating the body.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Trời rét căm căm. (The weather is shiveringly cold.)
  • Gió mùa đông bắc thổi lạnh căm căm. (The northeasterly wind blows with a piercing cold.)
  • Ngồi trong nhà không đốt lửa mà cũng thấy căm căm. (Sitting inside without a fire, one still feels a bitter cold.)

Advanced Usage

• "rét căm căm": This is the most common and natural collocation. It functions as a fixed phrase meaning "bitterly cold" or "shivering cold."
  • Sáng sớm mùa đông, không khí rét căm căm. (On winter mornings, the air is bitterly cold.)

Variants and Related Words

• Căm (verb): To hate, to resent. (Note: This is a distinct word with a completely different meaning, not a variant of "căm căm".)
• Lạnh buốt / Lạnh thấu xương (adj): Bone-chilling cold, piercing cold. These are close synonyms describing intense cold.
• Run (verb): To shiver, to tremble (from cold or fear). This describes the physical action caused by "căm căm".

Synonyms

• Lạnh buốt: Piercingly cold.
• Lạnh thấu xương: Bone-chillingly cold.
• Lạnh cóng: Numbingly cold.

Notes on Usage

• "căm căm" is almost exclusively used to describe cold weather, wind, or the resulting physical sensation. It is not typically used for objects (e.g., ice, water) unless personifying the cold they emit.
• It is an evocative word that conveys more than just low temperature; it implies an uncomfortable, penetrating cold that affects the body directly.

adj

1. Shivering
   • rét căm căm
     it is shiveringly cold
   • gió bắc lạnh căm căm
     a shiveringly cold northernly wind