Definition

1. Adjective (reduplicative form):
   • More or less adequate; passable; just about enough: Used to describe a situation, condition, or quantity that is considered barely sufficient, acceptable, or satisfactory for the time being. It implies a state of being "good enough" or "pretty much done" without being perfect or complete.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đồ đạc như thế này là hòm hòm. (The furnishings like this are more or less adequate.)
  • Công việc đã xong hòm hòm rồi. (The work is pretty much finished.)
  • Số tiền này hòm hòm cho một tháng. (This amount of money is just about enough for a month.)

Advanced Usage

• "hòm hòm" as a colloquial assessment: Often used in informal speech to give a rough, approving estimate that something meets the minimum requirement or is almost complete.
  • Bài tập về nhà của nó làm hòm hòm rồi. (His homework is done well enough.)

Word Origin and Notes

• Reduplication: "Hòm hòm" is a reduplicative form (lấy từ) of the root word "hòm." While "hòm" alone typically means "box" or "chest" (e.g., - ballot box, - car trunk), the reduplicated form "hòm hòm" takes on a completely different, idiomatic meaning related to adequacy. This is a common feature in Vietnamese where reduplication creates new semantic meanings.

Variants and Related Words

• Hòm (noun): box, chest, trunk.
  • hòm phiếu: ballot box.
  • hòm xe: car trunk, luggage boot.

    • Bỏ va ly vào hòm xe. (To put suitcases in the luggage boot.)

Synonyms

• Tạm được: acceptable for now.
• Tạm đủ: temporarily sufficient.
• Khá khá: pretty good, fairly.
• Gần xong: almost done.

Related Concepts

• Ý nghĩa ước lượng: Expresses an approximate or estimated state of adequacy. It does not indicate precision but rather a subjective judgment that something is satisfactory enough to proceed or stop.

1. xem hòm (láy)
   • hòm phiếu
     Ballot-box
   • hòm xe
     Luggage-boot
   • Bỏ va ly vào hòm xe
     To put suitcases in the luggage-boot