khắm
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Ill-smelling / Rotten-smelling: Describes something that emits a foul, unpleasant odor, often due to decay or spoilage.
- Unpleasant / Disagreeable (figurative): Used colloquially to describe a situation, action, or behavior that is considered bad, undesirable, or in poor taste.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (literal smell):
- Cá này đã khắm rồi. (This fish has gone rotten-smelling.)
- Thùng rác bốc mùi khắm. (The trash bin gives off a foul smell.)
- Adjective (figurative):
- Kế hoạch đó nghe thật khắm. (That plan sounds really bad/terrible.)
- Hành động của hắn thật là khắm. (His action was truly despicable.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is primarily used in informal, colloquial Northern Vietnamese speech. Its figurative use to mean "bad" or "lousy" is very common in everyday conversation.
Variants and Related Words
- Khú khắm (adj): An intensified form, meaning very foul-smelling or utterly disagreeable.
- Cái bãi rác đó khú khắm. (That landfill is extremely foul-smelling.)
Synonyms
- Thối: rotten, stinky (primarily for smell).
- Hôi: smelly, stinking.
- Tồi tệ / Tệ: bad, lousy (for the figurative sense).
Related Idioms
- Khắm như cú: As foul-smelling as an owl (a strong expression for something very smelly or very bad).
- Món này ăn vào thấy khắm như cú. (Eating this dish makes me feel it's utterly revolting.)