khú
Definition
- Adjective:
- Spoiled, sour, having an unpleasant fermented odor: Describes food, especially pickled vegetables, that has spoiled due to improper fermentation or being left for too long, resulting in a sour, off-putting smell and taste.
- Musty, stale, having a damp, unpleasant smell: Describes damp clothes or fabrics that have been left wet for an extended period, developing a moldy or mildewy odor.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Món dưa muối này đã bị khú rồi, không ăn được nữa. (This jar of pickled vegetables has gone sour/spoiled; it's no longer edible.)
- Quần áo để trong máy giặt lâu ngày sẽ có mùi khú. (Clothes left in the washing machine for days will develop a musty/stale smell.)
- Mùi khú của đống vải ướt lan khắp phòng. (The musty smell from the pile of wet fabric filled the room.)
Advanced Usage
- "khú như cú": An idiom meaning "extremely spoiled/sour," used for emphasis. It compares the spoiled item to an owl ("cú"), likely for the rhyming effect and to imply a strong, unpleasant state.
- Lọ dưa hành để cả tháng, giờ khú như cú. (The jar of pickled onions has been left for a month; now it's completely spoiled.)
Variants and Related Words
- Khú nụ (adj., informal): An intensified form of "khú," describing something that is very spoiled or has a very strong, unpleasant fermented smell.
- Canh chua để qua đêm đã khú nụ. (The sour soup left overnight is completely spoiled.)
- Ủ khú (verb phrase): The process of becoming spoiled or musty.
- Vải bố dễ bị ủ khú khi ẩm ướt. (Canvas easily becomes musty when damp.)
Synonyms
- Ôi, thiu (adj.): Rancid, spoiled (often used for fatty foods or dairy).
- Hôi (adj.): Smelly, stinky (a more general term for bad odor).
- Ẩm mốc (adj.): Damp and moldy.
Related Idioms
- "Ai làm cho cải tôi vồng, Cho dưa tôi khú, cho chồng tôi chê.": A folk verse (ca dao) using "khú" metaphorically. It laments a situation where someone's actions caused the speaker's vegetables to bolt ("vồng"), her pickles to spoil ("khú"), and her husband to scorn her. It illustrates the word's traditional use and cultural context.