hổng trôn

Definition

Adjective:
- Bottomless, lacking a bottom: Describes an object, typically a container or vessel, that has no bottom or whose bottom is missing, broken, or absent. It implies the object is incomplete and cannot hold or contain anything.

Usage Examples

Adjective:
- Cái chõ này hổng trôn rồi. (This steamer is bottomless now.)
- Đừng dùng cái thùng hổng trôn đó! (Don't use that bottomless barrel!)
- Chén bị hổng trôn thì không đựng nước được. (A bowl that is bottomless cannot hold water.)

Advanced Usage

Used literally for broken objects: The term is almost exclusively used in a literal, physical sense to describe household or utilitarian items that are broken because they lack a base.
- Cái nồi đất bị hổng trôn sau khi rơi. (The earthen pot became bottomless after it fell.)

Variants and Related Words

Hổng (adj): Colloquial Southern Vietnamese term meaning "broken," "missing a part," or "having a hole." It can be combined with other words to specify what is broken (e.g., - missing teeth, - a broken-down vehicle).
Thủng (adj/v): Has a hole, punctured. While often refers to a hole in a surface, specifically means the entire bottom is gone.
Không đáy (adj): The standard, non-colloquial phrase for "bottomless."

Synonyms

Notes on Meaning and Usage

Regional Use: "Hổng trôn" is primarily used in Southern Vietnamese dialects. It is a colloquial and descriptive term.
Specificity: The word is very specific. It describes the state of an object (being without a bottom) and is not used in abstract or metaphorical senses like the English "bottomless pit." For abstract concepts, other words like (figuratively bottomless) are used.
Component Words: The term is a compound. "Hổng" indicates a state of lack or breakage, and "trôn" is a colloquial term for "bottom" or "base" of an object. It is presented here as a single lexical unit as per the request.

Bottomless
- Cái chỗ hổng trôn, không hông xôi được nữa
  
  this bottomless steamer can no longer be used for steaming glutious rice