Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Describes a state of being extremely tired, exhausted, or out of breath, often to the point of panting or gasping heavily. This is a reduplicative word (từ láy) that vividly emphasizes the physical state of exhaustion, typically from strenuous activity or hard work.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau khi chạy bộ 10 cây số, anh ấy ngồi xuống, hộc hà hộc hệch. (After running 10 kilometers, he sat down, panting and gasping heavily.)
  • Làm việc ngoài trời nắng cả ngày, các công nhân trở về trong tình trạng hộc hà hộc hệch. (Working under the sun all day, the workers returned in a state of utter exhaustion, panting heavily.)

Advanced Usage

• This word is primarily used in descriptive spoken Vietnamese to paint a vivid picture of physical exhaustion. It is less common in formal written contexts.
• It often implies not just tiredness but also the accompanying heavy, labored breathing.

Variants and Related Words

• Hộc hệch: This is the core form. 'Hộc hà hộc hệch' is an extended, more emphatic reduplicative variant of 'hộc hệch'. Both share the same core meaning.
  • Thằng bé leo lên cầu thang, hộc hệch vì mệt. (The boy climbed the stairs, panting from exhaustion.)

Synonyms

• Thở hổn hển: To pant, to gasp for breath.
• Mệt lử / Mệt nhoài: Extremely tired, exhausted.
• Đuối sức: Physically drained, spent.

Related Idioms

• While 'hộc hà hộc hệch' itself is not typically part of a larger idiom, it is used descriptively in contexts that describe extreme physical exertion.
  • Làm việc đến hộc hà hộc hệch: To work until one is completely exhausted and gasping for air.

1. xem hộc hệch (láy)