hồi lâu
Definition
- Adverb:
- For a long while / for a long time: Refers to a considerable, extended, or noticeably long duration of time that has just passed. It emphasizes the perceived length of a completed period.
Usage Examples
- Adverb:
- Chúng tôi đã đợi hồi lâu. (We waited for a long while.)
- Cô ấy suy nghĩ hồi lâu rồi mới trả lời. (She thought for a long time before answering.)
- Họ nói chuyện với nhau hồi lâu. (They talked to each other for a long while.)
Advanced Usage
- "một hồi lâu": a long while. This phrase is often interchangeable with "hồi lâu" but can place slightly more emphasis on the duration as a single, defined stretch.
- Sau một hồi lâu im lặng, cuộc họp lại tiếp tục. (After a long silence, the meeting continued.)
Variants and Related Words
Lâu (adj/adv): long (time). A more general term for a long duration.
- Anh ấy đi lâu rồi. (He left a long time ago.)
Giờ lâu (adv): for a long while. A near-synonym, often used interchangeably with "hồi lâu."
- Ngồi chờ giờ lâu cũng mệt. (Sitting and waiting for a long while is tiring.)
Synonyms
- For a long while: for an extended period.
- For a long time: for a considerable duration.
- For ages (colloquial): for a very long time.
Related Idioms
- Hồi lâu hồi lỉnh: a reduplicative phrase emphasizing a very long, drawn-out period.
- Giảng bài hồi lâu hồi lỉnh, sinh viên ngủ gật hết. (Lecturing for an endlessly long time, the students all dozed off.)
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