Definitions

1. Adjective:
   • Slightly bent, somewhat hunched: Describes a posture where the back or body is not fully upright but is bent forward to a moderate degree, often due to age, habit, or carrying a load. It implies a gentle, not extreme, curvature.
   • Stooped, crouched: Can describe a person walking or standing with a forward-leaning posture.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Ông ấy đi khòm khòm vì đau lưng. (He walks slightly hunched because of back pain.)
  • Bà cụ đứng khòm khòm trước cửa nhà. (The old lady stood somewhat stooped in front of the house door.)
  • Nó cúi người khòm khòm để nhặt đồ. (He bent over slightly to pick up the item.)

Advanced Usage

• "khòm khòm lưng": This phrase specifically emphasizes the hunching of the back.
  • Tuổi già khiến bà đi khòm khòm lưng. (Old age makes her walk with a hunched back.)

Variants and Related Words

• Khom (adj): The standard and more common form meaning "hunched," "bent over," or "stooped." "Khòm khòm" is a reduplicative form that often softens the meaning to "somewhat hunched."
  • Anh ấy khom người bước qua cửa. (He bent down to go through the door.)
• Khom lưng (verb phrase): To bend one's back.
  • Phải khom lưng làm việc vất vả. (To have to bend one's back doing hard work.)

Synonyms

• Còng (adj): Hunched, stooped (often implies a more pronounced or permanent curvature, especially due to age).
• Gù (adj): Hunchbacked (refers to a more severe, often medical condition).

Notes on Usage

• "Khòm khòm" is a descriptive, often colloquial adjective. It is a reduplicated form of "khom". Reduplication in Vietnamese can indicate a lesser degree, a repeated action, or add a descriptive quality. Here, it typically suggests a moderate, not severe, hunch or bend.
• It is commonly used to describe the posture of elderly people or someone temporarily bending over. The tone is neutral and descriptive.