dịu bớt
Definition
- Intransitive Verb:
- To become less intense, severe, or strong; to subside, to abate, to ease off: Refers to a gradual decrease in the intensity of a physical sensation, an emotion, a condition, or a situation.
- To become milder, gentler, or softer: Describes a transition from a harsh, severe, or extreme state to a more moderate, calm, or pleasant one.
Usage Examples
- Intransitive Verb:
- Cơn đau đầu của tôi đã dịu bớt sau khi tôi uống thuốc. (My headache eased off after I took medicine.)
- Sau cơn mưa, cái nóng oi bức dịu bớt đi phần nào. (After the rain, the sweltering heat subsided somewhat.)
- Cơn giận của anh ấy dịu bớt khi nghe lời giải thích. (His anger abated upon hearing the explanation.)
- Ánh sáng chói lóa dịu bớt khi mặt trời lặn. (The glaring light became softer as the sun set.)
Advanced Usage
- "dịu bớt dần": to gradually subside/ease.
- Tiếng ồn dịu bớt dần cho đến khi chỉ còn là tiếng thì thầm. (The noise gradually subsided until it was only a whisper.)
- "dịu bớt đi": to ease up, to lessen (often used for emphasis).
- Hãy để cho nỗi buồn dịu bớt đi theo thời gian. (Let the sorrow ease up with time.)
Variants and Related Words
- Dịu (adj/vi): mild, gentle, soft; to become mild/gentle.
- giọng nói dịu dàng (a gentle voice), cơn bão đã dịu (the storm has calmed).
- Dịu dàng (adj): gentle, tender, soft (often describing personality or manner).
- một người phụ nữ dịu dàng (a gentle woman).
- Làm dịu (v): to soothe, to calm, to alleviate (a transitive action).
- làm dịu cơn đau (to soothe the pain).
Synonyms
- Giảm bớt: to reduce, to decrease (more general, can be used for quantities or levels).
- Nguôi ngoai: to subside, to abate (specifically for emotions like anger or grief).
- Lắng xuống: to calm down, to settle (often for noise, emotions, or situations).
- Hạ nhiệt: to cool down (literal for temperature, figurative for tension).
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
Note: As 'dịu bớt' is an intransitive verb, it does not combine with objects to form phrasal verbs in the same way separable English verbs do. Its meaning is self-contained.
Related Idioms
- "Gió *dịu mưa dừng"* (literal: Wind calms, rain stops): Used to describe a situation where turmoil or conflict has completely ended and peace is restored. While it uses "dịu," it conceptually relates to the final state after something has "dịu bớt."
- "Lửa gần rơm lâu ngày cũng bén, nhưng rồi cũng sẽ *nguôi ngoai"* (literal: Fire near straw will eventually catch, but it will also subside): An idiom about intense passions or conflicts that eventually calm down. "Nguôi ngoai" is a close synonym in this context.