Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Flexible; pliable: Describes a material that can bend, twist, or be shaped easily without breaking.
   • Soft and chewy: Refers to a food texture that is pleasantly soft yet offers some resistance when bitten, like sticky rice or certain candies.
   • Supple; agile: Describes a person's body or movements that are lithe, nimble, and graceful.

2. Adverb:

   • In a flexible, supple, or agile manner: Describes the way an action is performed with grace and fluidity.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Đất sét rất dẻo. (Clay is very pliable.)
  • Xôi này ăn rất dẻo và thơm. (This sticky rice is very chewy and fragrant.)
  • Vận động viên ấy có thân hình dẻo dai. (That athlete has a supple and enduring body.)

• Adverb:

  • Cô ấy múa rất dẻo. (She dances very gracefully/supplely.)

Advanced Usage

• "dẻo dai": (adjective) Combines dẻo (flexible) with dai (tough, enduring). It describes exceptional physical resilience, stamina, or the durable flexibility of a material.

  • Anh ấy có sức khỏe dẻo dai. (He has resilient health.)

• "dẻo quẹo": (adjective, colloquial) An emphatic form meaning very flexible or pliable, often used figuratively to describe someone who is overly accommodating or unprincipled.

  • Anh ta là người dẻo quẹo, dễ thay đổi ý kiến. (He is a wishy-washy person who easily changes his opinion.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dẻo thun (adj): Elastic, stretchy like rubber.

  • Sợi dây này dẻo thun. (This rope is elastic.)

• Dẻo tay (adj, idiom): Skillful with one's hands, deft.

  • Bà ấy dẻo tay, nặn bột gì cũng đẹp. (She is deft; she shapes any dough beautifully.)

Synonyms

• Pliable: Easily bent or shaped.
• Supple: Bending and moving easily and gracefully.
• Chewy: Requiring chewing, having a pleasant, firm texture.
• Agile: Able to move quickly and easily.

Related Idioms

• Mềm nắn, rắn buông / Dẻo mềm, dễ uốn: (Proverb) Literally "soft when squeezed, hard when released / flexible, easy to bend." It advises adapting one's attitude or approach based on the situation or the person one is dealing with.

  • Trong đàm phán, cần biết mềm nắn rắn buông. (In negotiation, one must know when to be flexible and when to be firm.)

• Ăn cơm dẻo, nhớ nẻo đường đi: (Proverb) Literally "Eating soft/chewy rice, remember the path taken." It means to remember one's roots, hardships, or the journey when enjoying good results.

adj

1. soft; flexible; plastic
   • đất sét dẻo
     plastic clay
   • deo dẻo
     rather flexible