dở tay
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- To be in the middle of doing something; to be engaged in a task: The phrase "dở tay" describes the state of being actively occupied with a manual or physical activity, having started it but not yet finished. It implies the hands are currently busy.
- To be at work on something: It indicates that a person is in the process of handling or working on a specific task or job.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Chờ một chút, tôi đang dở tay. (Wait a moment, I'm in the middle of something.)
- Anh ấy đang dở tay sửa xe, không thể nghe điện thoại. (He is busy fixing the car and cannot answer the phone.)
- Đừng làm phiền khi cô ấy đang dở tay nấu ăn. (Don't disturb her when she's in the middle of cooking.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase emphasizes the immediacy and ongoing nature of an activity. It is often used to explain why someone cannot attend to something else at that precise moment.
Variants and Related Words
- Bận tay (adj): to have one's hands full; to be busy with a task.
- Tôi đang bận tay, lát nữa nhé. (My hands are full right now, maybe later.)
Synonyms
- Busy (with a task): occupied in doing something.
- In the middle of: engaged in an activity that has started.
- Tied up: unable to attend to other matters due to current work.
Related Idioms
- Dở dang (adj): unfinished, incomplete (referring to a task or project).
- Công việc còn dở dang. (The work is still unfinished.)
- While not a direct idiom with "tay," the concept relates to the common expression "bận chân bận tay," meaning to be very busy with many tasks.
- At work, engaged