hư nhược
Definition
- Adjective:
- Weak, feeble, debilitated: Describes a state of physical or mental weakness, lack of strength, or being in poor condition, often due to illness, exhaustion, or moral decay.
- Degenerate, decadent: Can describe a state of moral or spiritual decline, corruption, or decay.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Sau trận ốm nặng, cơ thể anh ấy trở nên hư nhược. (After the serious illness, his body became weak and debilitated.)
- Một chế độ hư nhược thường dẫn đến sự sụp đổ. (A degenerate regime often leads to collapse.)
- Tinh thần hư nhược không thể vượt qua khó khăn. (A feeble spirit cannot overcome difficulties.)
Advanced Usage
- "hư nhược cơ thể": physical debilitation, bodily weakness.
- Bệnh tật kéo dài gây ra tình trạng hư nhược cơ thể. (Prolonged illness causes a state of physical debilitation.)
- "tinh thần hư nhược": weak-willed, feeble-minded (in a moral/character sense).
- Một kẻ tinh thần hư nhược dễ bị dao động. (A weak-willed person is easily swayed.)
Variants and Related Words
- Nhược (adj): Weak, feeble. Often used in compound words.
- nhược điểm (weak point, disadvantage)
- yếu nhược (weak and feeble)
- Hư (adj): Bad, spoiled, broken, corrupt. Often used in compound words.
- hư hỏng (spoiled, broken down, corrupt)
- hư vô (nihilistic, nothingness)
Synonyms
- Yếu ớt: Weak, frail.
- Suy nhược: Weakened, debilitated (often from illness).
- Bạc nhược: Feeble, impotent (often morally or in character).
- Nhu nhược: Weak, soft, lacking firmness (often in will or character).
Notes on Usage
- Hư nhược is a formal and somewhat literary term. It is stronger and more severe than simply yếu (weak).
- It often implies a weakness resulting from decay, corruption, or a degenerative process, rather than a temporary or inherent state.
- While it can describe physical weakness, it is frequently used in moral, spiritual, or political contexts to describe decline and decay.