Definition

1. Adjective (colloquial, less common):
   • Slightly crack-brained; a bit touched in the head: Describes a person who is perceived as being a little bit foolish, eccentric, or not thinking in a completely rational or sound manner. It implies a mild, often harmless, degree of mental oddity or simple-mindedness.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Ông ấy trông có vẻ hâm hẩm, nhưng thực ra rất tốt bụng. (He seems a bit crack-brained, but is actually very kind.)
  • Đừng nghe lời nó, nó hâm hẩm lắm. (Don't listen to him; he's a bit touched in the head.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is informal and can carry a teasing or dismissive tone. It is not a clinical term and is used subjectively to comment on someone's behavior or ideas that seem illogical or silly to the speaker.

Variants and Related Words

• Hâm (adj): Foolish, silly, crack-brained (stronger in degree than ).
  • Nó nói chuyện hâm quá. (He talks so foolishly.)
• Hẩm (adj): Often used in compounds, can imply something is spoiled, stale, or off (e.g., - stale rice). In , it combines with to soften the meaning.

Synonyms

• A bit daft: Somewhat silly or foolish.
• A little touched: Mildly eccentric or mentally unsound.
• Simple-minded: Lacking in sophistication or complex thought.

Related Idioms

• No common idioms are directly formed with . The concept is more directly expressed by the adjective itself or its stronger root, .

1. (khẩu ngữ, ít dùng) Slightly crack-brained