Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Decrepit, very old and weak: Describes a state of being extremely aged, frail, and feeble, often implying a loss of physical strength and vitality due to advanced age.
   • Worn-out, dilapidated: Can describe objects that are extremely old, broken down, and in a state of disrepair.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Ông ấy trông già khụ. (He looks old and decrepit.)
  • Cái ghế này cũ khụ rồi, sắp gãy. (This chair is old and decrepit, it's about to break.)
  • Sau trận ốm, bà cụ đi lại khụ lắm. (After the illness, the old lady moves about very feebly.)

Advanced Usage

• "già khụ": A common collocation meaning "very old and decrepit."
  • Cụ bà già khụ nhưng tinh thần vẫn minh mẫn. (The old woman is decrepit but her mind is still sharp.)
• Used to emphasize extreme age or deterioration, often carrying a tone of pity or observation.

Variants and Related Words

• Khúm khụ (adj): Describes a posture of being hunched over, often due to old age or weakness, combining the sense of being bent and frail.
  • Ông lão khúm khụ bước đi. (The old man walked hunched over and feebly.)
• Lụ khụ (adj): Describes slow, clumsy, or unsteady movement, often associated with old age.
  • Cụ đi lại lụ khụ trong sân. (The elder moved slowly and unsteadily in the yard.)

Synonyms

• Yếu ớt: Weak, feeble.
• Gần đất xa trời: A Vietnamese idiom meaning "having one foot in the grave," used for someone very old.
• Cũ kỹ: Old, antiquated (for objects).
• Héo hon: Withered, frail.

Related Phrases

• "khụ vì tuổi tác": decrepit due to age.
  • Con ngựa già khụ vì tuổi tác. (The horse is decrepit due to age.)
• "tiếng ho khụ khụ": A descriptive phrase for a deep, rattling, old-sounding cough.
  • Ông ấy ho những tiếng khụ khụ. (He coughs with a deep, rattling cough.)

Notes on Usage

• The word "khụ" is primarily used as a descriptive adjective and is almost always paired with another adjective (like - old, - old/worn) or used in a context that clearly indicates extreme age or deterioration.
• It is an evocative word that paints a vivid picture of advanced physical decline. It is not typically used in formal writing but is common in descriptive narratives and everyday speech.
• There are no direct phrasal verbs or idioms formed solely with "khụ"; its usage is embedded in descriptive phrases and collocations.

1. Decrepit
   • Trông người già khụ
     To look old and decrepit