hắc búa
Definition
- Adjective:
- Difficult / tricky / thorny: Describes a problem, situation, or question that is complex, hard to solve, or presents significant challenges. This is the primary and most common meaning.
- Knotty / intricate: Refers to something that is complicated and tangled, often requiring careful thought to unravel.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Bài toán này thật sự hắc búa. (This math problem is truly difficult.)
- Họ đang đối mặt với một vấn đề hắc búa trong đàm phán. (They are facing a thorny problem in the negotiations.)
- Đây là câu hỏi hắc búa nhất trong bài thi. (This is the trickiest question on the exam.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is often used in formal or literary contexts to emphasize a high degree of difficulty, more so than the common word "khó" (difficult).
Variants and Related Words
- Hóc búa (adj): This is the more standard and frequently used variant with the identical meaning of "difficult" or "knotty." "Hắc búa" is considered a less common form.
- Tình huống hóc búa. (A knotty situation.)
Synonyms
- Difficult: Needing much effort or skill to accomplish.
- Tricky: Requiring care and skill because of difficulty or risk of error.
- Knotty: Extremely complex or intricate.
- Thorny: Causing distress, difficulty, or trouble.
Related Idioms
- While "hắc búa" itself is not typically part of a longer idiom, it describes the nature of problems often referenced in phrases like:
- Vướng vào vấn đề hắc búa. (To be caught in a thorny problem.)