hả mùi
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having lost its scent/fragrance: Describes something, typically a flower, spice, or aromatic substance, whose original pleasant smell has faded or dissipated.
- No longer fragrant; stale (in terms of smell): Indicates that the characteristic aroma is gone, often due to age, exposure, or evaporation.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Hoa hồng này đã hả mùi rồi. (This rose has lost its scent.)
- Gói trà này hả mùi, chắc để lâu rồi. (This packet of tea has lost its aroma; it must have been stored for a long time.)
- Các loại gia vị nếu không đậy kín sẽ rất nhanh hả mùi. (Spices will lose their fragrance very quickly if not tightly sealed.)
Advanced Usage
"hả hết mùi": to have completely lost its smell.
- Lọ tinh dầu để ngoài nắng đã hả hết mùi thơm. (The essential oil bottle left in the sun has completely lost its fragrance.)
Used figuratively to describe something that has lost its novelty, appeal, or initial exciting quality.
- Câu chuyện cũ đó giờ nghe đã hả mùi rồi. (That old story has lost its appeal now.)
Variants and Related Words
- Hả (verb): In this context, it implies to dissipate, to fade, to lose intensity (often used with smells, heat, anger).
- Cơn giận đã hả. (The anger has subsided.)
- Hả hơi (verb): to rest, to take a breather (literally: to let out breath/steam).
- Làm việc xong, anh ấy ngồi hả hơi. (After finishing work, he sat down to take a breather.)
- Bay mùi: to lose its smell (more literal: for the smell to fly away).
- Phai mùi: to fade in scent (similar meaning).
Synonyms
- Hết thơm: no longer fragrant.
- Mất mùi: to lose the smell.
- Phai hương: (literary/poetic) for the fragrance to fade.
Related Idioms
- "Nồi đồng sôi cũng có lúc hả hơi": Literally "Even a bronze pot boiling has moments to let off steam." Figuratively means everyone needs a break or a moment to rest.
- Anh cứ làm việc miệt mài thế, nhớ là "nồi đồng sôi cũng có lúc hả hơi" đấy. (You keep working so diligently, remember that "even a bronze pot boiling has moments to let off steam.")