Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Very short, extremely short: Describes something that is notably, often excessively, short in length, duration, or stature. It emphasizes a degree of shortness beyond the ordinary.

Usage

• The word "hủn hoẳn" is an adjective used to describe a high degree of shortness. It is considered somewhat literary or less common in everyday modern speech.
• It is typically used to modify nouns directly or follow linking verbs like "là" (to be).
• It often carries a nuance of being "too short" or "unpleasantly short," not just neutrally short.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Chiếc váy này hủn hoẳn, không thích hợp để mặc đi làm. (This dress is extremely short, not suitable to wear to work.)
  • Anh ấy viết một bức thư hủn hoẳn rồi bỏ đi. (He wrote a very brief letter and then left.)
  • Cái bàn hủn hoẳn khiến trẻ con ngồi không thoải mái. (The very short table makes it uncomfortable for children to sit at.)

Advanced Usage

• "ngắn hủn hoẳn": This is a common collocation where "ngắn" (short) is intensified by "hủn hoẳn," meaning "extremely/too short."
  • Chiếc áo khoác ngắn hủn hoẳn nên không đủ ấm. (The jacket is far too short, so it's not warm enough.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ngắn (adj): Short. The standard, more common word for "short."
• Cũn cỡn (adj): Very short (often for clothing), skimpy. Similar in meaning but can imply an inadequate, revealing, or truncated quality.
• Lùn (adj): Short (in stature), dwarf. Specifically refers to the height of a person or sometimes an object.

Synonyms

• Rất ngắn: Very short.
• Cực kỳ ngắn: Extremely short.
• Ngắn cũn: Very short (colloquial).

Notes

• "Hủn hoẳn" is not typically used to form idioms or phrasal verbs. Its usage is primarily as an intensifying adjective for "short."
• The word is considered somewhat dated or literary, so it is more likely to be encountered in written texts or formal descriptions than in casual conversation.

1. (ít dùng) Quite [short]