Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Uneven, bumpy, irregular: Describes a surface, path, or line that is not smooth, flat, or straight. It often implies a series of small, irregular ups and downs.
   • Crooked, misaligned: Used specifically to describe teeth that are not in a straight line.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đường đi rất khấp khểnh. (The road is very bumpy.)
  • Hàm răng khấp khểnh. (To have uneven/crooked teeth.)
  • Địa hình khấp khểnh. (An uneven terrain.)

Advanced Usage

• "Khấp kha khấp khểnh": This is a reduplicative form (từ láy) that intensifies the meaning, emphasizing a very uneven, jolting, or highly irregular state.
  • Con đường mòn khấp kha khấp khểnh. (The trail is extremely bumpy and uneven.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gồ ghề (adj): Rugged, rough. Often used for larger, more pronounced irregularities like rocky terrain.
• Khấp khếnh (adj): A less common variant with the same meaning as "khấp khểnh".

Synonyms

• Không bằng phẳng: Not flat.
• Lồi lõm: Uneven with bumps and hollows.
• Cong queo: Crooked, bent (often for lines or objects).

Notes on Meaning

• Physical Surfaces: Primarily describes the physical quality of a surface, such as a road, floor, or landscape.
• Alignment: Can describe things that are not in proper alignment, like teeth.
• Figurative Use: While less common, it can be used figuratively to describe an irregular or non-linear process (e.g., a project progressing in fits and starts), though this usage often relies on the reduplicative form "khấp kha khấp khểnh" for clarity.

1. Uneven, bumpy
   • Đường đi rất khấp khểnh
     To road is very bumpy
   • Hàm răng khấp khểnh
     To have unven teeth
   • Địa hình khấp khểnh
     An unven terrain.
2. (Khấp kha khấp khểnh) (láy, ý tăng)