Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Slightly bent, somewhat stooped: Describes something or someone that is not fully straight, having a gentle curve or a posture that is not fully upright. It often depicts a slight, repeated, or habitual bending, particularly of the back.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Ông lão đi khom khom vì tuổi già. (The old man walks slightly stooped due to old age.)
  • Hàng cây đứng khom khom trước gió. (The row of trees stands slightly bent in the wind.)
  • Cô ấy cúi người khom khom để nhặt đồ. (She bends down slightly to pick up the item.)

Advanced Usage

• "khom khom lưng": This is a common collocation emphasizing a stooped back.
  • Người nông dân làm việc cả ngày nên lưng đã khom khom. (The farmer works all day, so his back has become somewhat stooped.)

Variants and Related Words

• Khom (adj, v): The root word meaning "bent, stooped; to bend, to stoop." "Khom khom" is the reduplicative form, indicating a lesser degree or a repeated state.
  • Anh ấy khom người bước qua cửa. (He stooped to go through the door.)

Synonyms

• Còng còng (adj): Somewhat bent or hunched (often more pronounced than "khom khom").
• Cong cong (adj): Gently curved, bent in a smooth arc (can be used for objects, not necessarily posture).

Notes on Meaning

• "Khom khom" is a reduplicative word (từ láy) derived from "khom." Reduplication in Vietnamese often softens the meaning, indicating a slight, partial, or repeated quality. Therefore, "khom khom" does not mean fully bent over, but rather suggests a gentle, slight, or habitual stoop. It is frequently used to describe the posture of elderly people, those working in the fields, or objects yielding to force like wind.

1. xem khom (láy)