ham
/hæm/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Greedy; eager; keen: "ham" describes a strong, often excessive, desire or craving for something. It implies being very enthusiastic or having a keen interest.
- Avid; desirous: It can also mean having a passionate or intense longing for something.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Anh ấy rất ham học hỏi. (He is very eager to learn.)
- Đừng ham lợi trước mắt. (Don't be greedy for immediate gain.)
- Cô ấy ham đọc sách. (She is an avid reader.)
Advanced Usage
"ham mê": to be passionate about; to be addicted to (a hobby, activity). This is a common compound.
- Anh ấy ham mê âm nhạc. (He is passionate about music.)
"tham ham": greedy and covetous (often used together for emphasis).
- Kẻ tham ham của cải. (A person greedy and covetous of wealth.)
Variants and Related Words
Ham ăn (adj): Literally "greedy to eat," meaning gluttonous or very eager (in a broader sense).
- Đứa trẻ ham ăn. (The child is gluttonous.)
Ham muốn (verb/noun): to desire; desire, craving.
- Anh ta ham muốn quyền lực. (He desires power.)
Ham thích (verb): to like very much, to have a strong liking for.
- Tôi ham thích thể thao. (I really like sports.)
Synonyms
- Tham: greedy, covetous (often with a more negative connotation).
- Khao khát: to yearn, to long for.
- Say mê: to be passionately fond of, to be engrossed in.
Related Phrases (Collocations)
Ham chơi: to be fond of/frivolously eager for amusement/play.
- Cậu bé ham chơi quên học. (The boy, fond of playing, forgets to study.)
Ham của: greedy for possessions/wealth.
- Tính ham của là xấu. (The trait of being greedy for possessions is bad.)
Related Idioms
- Ham bát bỏ mâm: Literally "to crave for the bowl and abandon the tray." Meaning to be greedy for a small gain and lose a much bigger one; to be penny-wise and pound-foolish.
- Đừng ham bát bỏ mâm. (Don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish.)
adj
- greedy; eager; keen
- ham ănvery eager