dàu
Definition
- Adjective:
- Withered, faded: Describes something (typically a plant, flower, or leaf) that has lost freshness, vigor, or color, often due to age, lack of water, or heat.
- Limp, drooping: Describes something that has lost its firmness or turgidity and hangs down loosely.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Những cánh hoa đã dàu vì nắng. (The flower petals have withered because of the sun.)
- Lá cây dàu rũ xuống sau đợt hạn hán. (The tree leaves drooped limply after the drought.)
Advanced Usage
- "dàu dàu": This is a reduplicated form (láy từ) used to soften or attenuate the meaning, often implying a state of being or withered or faded, not completely so.
- Bông hoa mới héo dàu dàu thôi. (The flower is only slightly faded.)
Variants and Related Words
- Héo: A more common and general synonym for or .
- Úa: Often used for faded colors or things past their prime.
- Tàn: Often used for flowers that are withering or dying.
Synonyms
- Héo: withered, wilted.
- Úa: faded, past its prime.
- Rũ: drooping, limp.
Notes on Usage
- The word "dàu" is considered rare and literary in modern Vietnamese. The more common words for this concept are "héo" or "úa".
- It is primarily used to describe plants, flowers, or leaves. Its application to other objects is uncommon.
- The reduplicated form "dàu dàu" is a stylistic device to express a milder degree of the condition.