khô khan
Definition
- Adjective:
- Dry; Arid: Lacking moisture or water; describing a physical state of extreme dryness.
- Dry; Dull; Barren: Lacking interest, emotion, warmth, or richness; describing something (like speech, writing, or a person's demeanor) that is boring, uninspiring, or emotionally cold.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (Physical Dryness):
- Vùng đất này rất khô khan. (This land is very arid.)
- Adjective (Figurative Dryness):
- Giáo viên đó giảng bài một cách khô khan. (That teacher lectures in a very dry manner.)
- Bài diễn văn nghe thật khô khan. (The speech sounds utterly dull.)
Advanced Usage
- Used to describe abstract concepts like personality, style, or content that lacks vitality or appeal.
- Anh ấy là một người khô khan, ít biểu lộ cảm xúc. (He is a dry person, showing little emotion.)
- Cuộc sống nơi đây thật khô khan về văn hóa. (Life here is culturally barren.)
Variants and Related Words
- Khô (adj): Dry. Can refer to physical dryness (e.g., - dry clothes) or, less commonly, figurative dryness.
- Khan (adj): This word is almost exclusively used in the compound khô khan to intensify the meaning of dryness. It is rarely used alone in modern Vietnamese.
Synonyms
- Dry: Lacking moisture or interest.
- Dull: Lacking excitement or interest.
- Boring: Not interesting; tedious.
- Arid: Lacking moisture; barren.
- Emotionless: Lacking feeling or warmth.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Tính tình khô khan: A dry, unemotional temperament.
- Ông ấy có tính tình khô khan nên ít bạn. (He has a dry temperament so he has few friends.)
- Lời lẽ khô khan: Dry, uninspiring words.
- Đừng nói những lời lẽ khô khan như vậy. (Don't speak such dry words.)
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Dry
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Bài văn khô khanA dry literary composition
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