hòm hòm
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective (reduplicative form):
- More or less adequate; passable; just about enough: Used to describe a situation, condition, or quantity that is considered barely sufficient, acceptable, or satisfactory for the time being. It implies a state of being "good enough" or "pretty much done" without being perfect or complete.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Đồ đạc như thế này là hòm hòm. (The furnishings like this are more or less adequate.)
- Công việc đã xong hòm hòm rồi. (The work is pretty much finished.)
- Số tiền này hòm hòm cho một tháng. (This amount of money is just about enough for a month.)
Advanced Usage
- "hòm hòm" as a colloquial assessment: Often used in informal speech to give a rough, approving estimate that something meets the minimum requirement or is almost complete.
- Bài tập về nhà của nó làm hòm hòm rồi. (His homework is done well enough.)
Word Origin and Notes
- Reduplication: "Hòm hòm" is a reduplicative form (lấy từ) of the root word "hòm." While "hòm" alone typically means "box" or "chest" (e.g., - ballot box, - car trunk), the reduplicated form "hòm hòm" takes on a completely different, idiomatic meaning related to adequacy. This is a common feature in Vietnamese where reduplication creates new semantic meanings.
Variants and Related Words
- Hòm (noun): box, chest, trunk.
- hòm phiếu: ballot box.
- hòm xe: car trunk, luggage boot.
- Bỏ va ly vào hòm xe. (To put suitcases in the luggage boot.)
Synonyms
- Tạm được: acceptable for now.
- Tạm đủ: temporarily sufficient.
- Khá khá: pretty good, fairly.
- Gần xong: almost done.
Related Concepts
- Ý nghĩa ước lượng: Expresses an approximate or estimated state of adequacy. It does not indicate precision but rather a subjective judgment that something is satisfactory enough to proceed or stop.
- xem hòm (láy)
- hòm phiếuBallot-box
- hòm xeLuggage-boot
- Bỏ va ly vào hòm xeTo put suitcases in the luggage-boot