Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Completely ignorant; extremely uneducated: Describes a state of profound ignorance, lacking even basic knowledge or understanding in a particular area or generally.
   • Dense; thick-headed: Emphasizes a severe lack of intelligence or an inability to learn and comprehend.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Nó dốt đặc môn toán, giải bài đơn giản nhất cũng không xong. (He is completely ignorant in math; he can't even solve the simplest problem.)
  • Ông ấy làm nghề kỹ sư mà dốt đặc về máy tính. (He works as an engineer but is utterly ignorant about computers.)
  • Đừng có hỏi nó, nó dốt đặc về chuyện đó lắm. (Don't ask him; he's completely clueless about that matter.)

Advanced Usage

• Used for strong, often humorous or critical, emphasis on someone's lack of knowledge. It carries a stronger negative connotation than just "dốt" (ignorant).
• Often appears in proverbs or folk sayings to criticize willful ignorance or to contrast with superficial knowledge.
  • "Dốt đặc hơn hay chữ lỏng." (A proverb meaning "Being completely ignorant is worse than having a shallow, unstable grasp of knowledge.")

Variants and Related Words

• Dốt (adj): Ignorant, uneducated. The root word, less intense than "dốt đặc".
• Ngu dốt (adj): Stupid and ignorant. Combines lack of intelligence with lack of knowledge.
• Đần độn (adj): Feeble-minded, dull. Focuses more on lack of innate intelligence.

Synonyms

• Ngu si (adj): Foolish, stupid.
• Tối dạ (adj): Slow-witted, dull (literally "dark-brained").
• Kém hiểu biết (adj): Lacking understanding/knowledge (more formal and less harsh).

Related Idioms

• Dốt đặc cán mai: A more vivid, colloquial variant. "Cán mai" (trowel handle) implies the ignorance is as solid and impenetrable as a wooden tool handle. It means "hopelessly ignorant."
  • Nói mãi không hiểu, đúng là dốt đặc cán mai. (I've explained repeatedly, but he doesn't get it; he's hopelessly ignorant.)

1. completely ignorant