Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Unfinished; incomplete: Describes something that has been started but not yet completed.
   • Bad; poor; not good: Indicates low quality, especially regarding taste, skill, or performance.
   • Incapable; unskillful: Refers to a lack of competence or proficiency in a task or role.
   • Eccentric; odd: Describes a person or behavior that is somewhat strange or not normal.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Công việc này vẫn còn đang dở. (This work is still unfinished.)
  • Món này nấu dở quá. (This dish is cooked poorly.)
  • Anh ấy là một thợ mộc dở. (He is an unskillful carpenter.)
  • Đừng có dở người như vậy! (Don't be so odd/foolish!)

Advanced Usage

• "dở chứng": to act up; to behave erratically or in a difficult manner, often suddenly.

  • Con bé đang ngoan bỗng dở chứng khóc. (The child was being good then suddenly acted up and cried.)

• "dở khóc dở cười": to be torn between crying and laughing; to describe a situation that is both frustrating and amusing, or awkward.

  • Tình huống ấy thật dở khóc dở cười. (That situation was both tragic and comic.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bỏ dở (v): to abandon; to leave something unfinished.

  • Cô ấy bỏ dở việc học. (She abandoned her studies.)

• Dở dang (adj): incomplete; left in an unfinished state.

  • Căn nhà dở dang sau trận bão. (The house was left incomplete after the storm.)

• Dở hơi (adj): silly; foolish; not quite right in the head.

  • Nó làm cái gì dở hơi vậy? (Why is he doing such a foolish thing?)

Synonyms

• Unfinished: incomplete, pending.
• Bad: poor, terrible, awful.
• Unskillful: incompetent, inept.
• Odd: eccentric, weird.

Related Idioms

• Dở ông dở thằng: Neither fish nor fowl; to be in an ambiguous, indeterminate, or awkward position.

  • Anh ta cứ dở ông dở thằng trong cuộc thương lượng. (He was in an awkward position during the negotiation.)

• Dở sống dở chết: To be half-alive, half-dead; to be in a state of extreme suffering or exhaustion.

  • Sau trận ốm, tôi cảm thấy dở sống dở chết. (After the illness, I felt half-dead.)

adj

1. unfinished; un completed
   • bỏ dở
     to leave unfinished bad; dull; not good
   • đồ ăn dở
     Bad food
2. Incapable; unskillful