Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Fake, counterfeit, of poor quality: Used to describe something that is not genuine, is an imitation, or is of inferior quality. It often carries a negative connotation of being shoddy or unreliable.
   • Bad, terrible, lousy: Can describe something that is performed poorly or is of very low standard.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đồng hồ này là đồ dởm, nó hỏng sau một tuần. (This watch is a fake; it broke after one week.)
  • Bộ phim đó diễn xuất dởm quá, tôi không thể xem nổi. (The acting in that movie is so terrible, I can't watch it.)
  • Anh ta là một bác sĩ dởm, không có bằng cấp thật. (He is a fake doctor without real qualifications.)

Advanced Usage

• "hàng dởm": fake goods, counterfeit products.
  • Chợ này bán nhiều hàng dởm lắm. (This market sells a lot of counterfeit goods.)
• "người dởm": a fake or phony person.
  • Đừng tin hắn, hắn là người dởm. (Don't trust him; he's a phony.)

Variants and Related Words

• Giả (adj): Fake, false. ( - Fake goods). Note: is more neutral/formal, while is informal and often more derogatory.
• Nhái (adj/v): Counterfeit, to imitate (often of branded goods). ( - Knock-off goods).
• Tồi (adj): Bad, poor (quality). ( - Poor quality).

Synonyms

• Giả mạo: Counterfeit, forged.
• Kém chất lượng: Of low quality.
• Tệ hại: Awful, terrible.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Làm dởm: To do something poorly or half-heartedly; to fake doing something.
  • Nó làm dởm bài tập về nhà thôi. (He just did his homework poorly / in a slapdash way.)

Related Idioms

• "Dởm như con giả": (Simile) As fake as a counterfeit; used to emphasize something is very obviously fake.
  • Lời hứa của nó dởm như con giả. (His promise is as fake as they come.)
• "Tốt dởm": Ironic phrase meaning "deceptively good-looking but actually bad/fake".
  • Cái xe tốt dởm đấy, nhìn bề ngoài đẹp nhưng máy móc hỏng hết. (That's a deceptively good car; it looks nice on the outside but the engine is completely broken.)

1. False
   • Thuốc lá dởm
     False cigarettes