Definition

1. Adjective (Tính từ):
   • Slightly sour, beginning to turn, having a faint sour or fermented smell: Describes the initial stage of fermentation or spoilage in food, especially pickled or preserved items, where a sour smell is just detectable.
   • On the verge of going bad: Indicates that something is starting to spoil but is not fully rotten yet.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Món dưa muối này đã khang kháng, không nên ăn nữa. (This jar of pickled vegetables has started to turn sour, you shouldn't eat it anymore.)
  • Sữa để ngoài tủ lạnh lâu có mùi khang kháng. (The milk left outside the fridge for too long has a faint sour smell.)

Advanced Usage

• This word is a láy (reduplicative) form derived from the root "kháng," which carries the core meaning related to a sour, unpleasant smell from fermentation or decay. The reduplication softens the meaning, indicating the beginning or a slight degree of this state.
• It is primarily used in informal, conversational Vietnamese to describe food.

Variants and Related Words

• Kháng (adj): Sour, spoiled (to a stronger degree than "khang kháng"). This is the root word.
  • Thức ăn đã kháng hoàn toàn. (The food is completely spoiled.)
• Ôi (adj): Rancid, spoiled (used for oily/fatty foods or a general state of spoilage).
  • Bơ đã bị ôi. (The butter has gone rancid.)
• Thiu (adj): Sour, spoiled (often used for cooked rice, porridge, or starchy foods).
  • Cơm để qua đêm bị thiu. (The rice left overnight has gone sour.)

Synonyms

• Hơi chua: A bit sour.
• Bắt đầu ôi thiu: Beginning to spoil.

Notes on Meaning

• The word specifically describes an olfactory experience (a smell) that signals the initial stage of food spoilage, particularly through fermentation. It is not used for visual changes alone.
• It carries a negative connotation, indicating the food is no longer at its best and is likely unsafe to consume.

1. xem kháng (láy)