khù khờ
Definition
- Adjective:
- Slow-witted, simple-minded, naive: Describes a person who is not quick to understand, lacks sharpness, or is easily fooled due to excessive innocence or lack of worldly experience. It implies a state of being somewhat dull or foolish, often in a harmless way.
- Clumsy, inept: Can also describe someone who is awkward or unskilled in practical matters.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Anh ấy trông có vẻ khù khờ nhưng thực ra rất thông minh. (He looks slow-witted but is actually very intelligent.)
- Đừng có khù khờ mà tin vào lời hứa của hắn. (Don't be so naive as to believe his promises.)
- Cậu ta làm việc gì cũng khù khờ, vụng về. (He does everything in a clumsy, inept manner.)
Advanced Usage
- "mặt mày khù khờ": having a dull or simple-minded appearance.
- Nó có vẻ mặt mày khù khờ, chẳng biết gì. (He has a simple-minded look, as if he knows nothing.)
- Used to describe a temporary state of confusion or dullness.
- Ngủ dậy, anh ta vẫn còn khù khờ. (After waking up, he was still in a daze/slow.)
Variants and Related Words
- Khờ khạo (adj): A very close synonym, meaning foolish, simple, gullible.
- Cô bé có vẻ khờ khạo và đáng yêu. (The little girl seems simple and lovely.)
- Ngờ nghệch (adj): Slow to understand, dull-witted. (As referenced in the Vietnamese-Vietnamese definition).
- Khù (adj, colloquial): Can be used alone to mean dull, slow, or dazed, often in compounds like "ngủ khù" (sleep deeply and dazedly).
Synonyms
- Ngu ngốc (adj): Stupid, foolish (stronger, more derogatory).
- Đần độn (adj): Idiotic, imbecilic (stronger, more offensive).
- Ngây thơ (adj): Innocent, naive (often more positive or neutral than ).
Related Idioms
- Khù khờ như bò đội nón: As slow-witted as a cow wearing a hat (i.e., extremely foolish or clumsy).
- Nó giải bài toán đó khù khờ như bò đội nón. (He solved that math problem as clumsily as a cow wearing a hat.)
- While not a phrasal verb, the adjective is often used in the structure "trông (có vẻ) khù khờ" (to look slow-witted/naive).