Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Limping, hobbling, walking with an uneven and unsteady gait: Describes the movement of someone who has difficulty walking, often due to injury, disability, or uneven ground, resulting in an irregular, lurching motion. It emphasizes the sound and visual impression of an awkward, halting walk.
   • Unbalanced, uneven, inconsistent: Used figuratively to describe something that is not smooth, coherent, or stable, such as progress, rhythm, or quality.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau khi bị ngã, anh ấy đi khập khà khập khiễng về nhà. (After falling, he limped/hobbled home.)
  • Chiếc xe cũ chạy khập khà khập khiễng trên con đường gồ ghề. (The old car moved/jerked along unevenly on the bumpy road.)
  • Tiến độ dự án đang diễn ra một cách khập khà khập khiễng. (The project's progress is moving forward in a halting/unsteady manner.)

Advanced Usage

• This is a reduplicative compound (từ láy) in Vietnamese, specifically of the form ABAC, where "khập khà" and "khập khiễng" combine to create a vivid, onomatopoeic expression. It is more emphatic and descriptive than using "khập khiễng" alone.
• It is often used to create a strong sensory image, evoking both the sight and sound of an irregular motion.

Variants and Related Words

• Khập khiễng (adj): The core word, meaning limping or uneven. "Khập khà khập khiễng" is an extended, more expressive form of this word.
• Tập tễnh (adj): Also means to walk with difficulty, limping, especially when just starting to walk again after an injury. It can imply more weakness or tentativeness than "khập khà khập khiễng".
• Cà nhắc (adj, v): To walk lamely or hobble; can also mean to delay or procrastinate.

Synonyms

• Limp (v, adj): To walk with difficulty, favoring one leg.
• Hobble (v): To walk in an awkward way, typically because of pain or injury.
• Jerky (adj): Characterized by abrupt, uneven movements.
• Unsteady (adj): Not firm, stable, or regular.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• While "khập khà khập khiễng" itself is an idiomatic phrase, it can be part of broader descriptions:
  • Công việc tiến hành khập khà khập khiễng như người què. (The work proceeded haltingly, like a lame person walking.)

1. xem khập khiễng (láy)