Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Hollow, sunken, concave: Describes something that curves or sinks inward, lacking fullness or being recessed. Often used to describe facial features like cheeks or eyes that appear deeply set.
   • Thin, gaunt: Can imply a state of being underweight or emaciated, where the body or face lacks flesh, making bones more prominent.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Má cô ta hóp vào. (Her cheeks are sunken.)
  • Sau trận ốm, anh ấy trông hẳn hóp đi. (After the illness, he looks noticeably gaunt.)
  • Đôi mắt hóp sâu vì mất ngủ. (Eyes sunken deep from lack of sleep.)

Advanced Usage

• "hóp má": sunken cheeks.
  • Người mẫu thời trang đôi khi có xu hướng hóp má. (Fashion models sometimes have a trend of sunken cheeks.)
• "người hóp": a thin, gaunt person.
  • Ông cụ người hóp nhưng vẫn rất khỏe mạnh. (The old man is gaunt but still very healthy.)
• Used to describe objects or spaces that are concave:
  • Mặt trống bị hóp ở giữa. (The drum's surface is concave in the middle.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hóp hóp (adj): Diminutive form, suggesting a slight hollowness or a cute, slight concavity.
  • Em bé mới sinh có má hóp hóp. (The newborn baby has slightly hollow cheeks.)
• Hóp lại (verb phrase): To become sunken or hollow (often used for cheeks sucking in).
  • Cậu bé hóp má lại để bắt chước cá. (The boy sucked his cheeks in to imitate a fish.)
• Lõm (adj): Synonym meaning sunken, indented, or concave. Can sometimes be used interchangeably with "hóp," though "lõm" often refers to a more defined dent or indentation.
  • Mặt đất bị lõm xuống. (The ground is indented.)

Synonyms

• Lõm: Sunken, indented.
• Trũng: Sunken, depressed (often for larger areas like land).
• Gầy gò: Skinny, bony (emphasizing thinness rather than concavity).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs / Verb Combinations)

• Hóp vào: To sink in, to become hollow.
  • Bụng đói khiến bụng tôi hóp vào. (Hunger made my stomach sink in.)
• Làm hóp: To make something hollow or concave.
  • Cú đấm làm hóp mũi xe. (The punch made a dent in the car's hood.)

Related Idioms

• Hóp má hóp mắt: (Idiomatic) Describes an extremely gaunt and tired face, with both sunken cheeks and eyes.
  • Làm việc cả đêm khiến anh ấy trông hóp má hóp mắt. (Working all night made him look gaunt, with sunken cheeks and eyes.)
• Gầy hóp: Very skinny and sunken.
  • Ăn uống kém dẫn đến thân hình gầy hóp. (Poor diet leads to a very skinny and sunken physique.)

adj

1. hollow; sunken
   • má cô ta hóp vào
     She has sunken cheeks