Definition

1. Onomatopoeia / Ideophone:
   • The sound of rhythmic, monotonous snoring: "khò khò" is an onomatopoeic word that imitates the steady, repetitive sound made by a person snoring deeply in their sleep.

Usage

• "khò khò" is used almost exclusively to describe the sound of snoring. It is often repeated ("khò khò") or used with the verb ngáy (to snore) to form the phrase ngáy khò khò.
• It functions as an adverbial element, describing the manner of snoring.
• Example structure: Subject + ngáy + khò khò.

Usage Examples

• (He is fast asleep and snoring rhythmically.)
• (The room was quiet, only the sound of my father snoring monotonously could be heard.)
• (Last night he slept, snoring steadily all night long.)

Advanced Usage

• Reduplication for Emphasis: The word is inherently repetitive (khò khò). This reduplication emphasizes the continuous, unbroken nature of the snoring sound.
• Descriptive Onomatopoeia: It can be used independently in descriptive narratives to evoke the sound.
  • Trong đêm khuya thanh vắng, khò khò, khò khò... tiếng ngáy đều đều vang lên. (In the deep quiet of the night, zzz, zzz... the sound of steady snoring rose up.)

Variants and Related Words

• khò (onomatopoeia): A shorter, sometimes singular form, also representing a snoring sound, but less commonly used alone than the reduplicated form.
  • ngáy khò (to snore with a "khò" sound).
• ngáy (verb): To snore. This is the main verb, while khò khò describes it.
• ngáy đều đều (phrase): To snore rhythmically/steadily. This is a more standard, non-onomatopoeic way to express the same idea.

Synonyms

• ngáy đều (verb phrase): to snore evenly/steadily.
• ngáy pho pho (verb + onomatopoeia): to snore with a "pho pho" sound (often lighter or more breathy than khò khò).

Related Idioms/Phrases

• ngủ say khò khò: to be sound asleep, snoring away.
  • Sau chuyến đi dài, anh ấy về nhà và ngủ say khò khò. (After the long trip, he came home and was sound asleep, snoring away.)
• ngáy như sấm / ngáy như kéo gỗ: These are idioms comparing snoring to thunder or sawing wood, implying it is very loud. Khò khò typically describes the rhythm, not necessarily the volume.

1. Monotonous snores
   • Ngủ ngáy khò khò
     To make monotonous snores in one's sleep