kiều nhược
Definition
- Adjective:
- Weak; frail; delicate: Describes a person, especially a woman, who is physically slender, fragile, or of a delicate and graceful constitution. It carries a classical, literary nuance and often implies a refined, elegant weakness.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Dáng người cô ấy kiều nhược khiến ai cũng muốn bảo vệ. (Her frail figure made everyone want to protect her.)
- Vẻ đẹp kiều nhược của người thiếu nữ trong thơ cổ. (The delicate beauty of the maiden in ancient poetry.)
Advanced Usage
- The term kiều nhược is primarily used in literary, poetic, or formal descriptive contexts. It is not common in everyday modern speech. It often idealizes feminine beauty through the lens of fragility and grace.
Variants and Related Words
- Yếu đuối (adj): weak, feeble (a more common and general term for physical or character weakness).
- Mảnh mai (adj): slim, slender (emphasizes slimness, often positively, without the strong connotation of frailty).
- Mong manh (adj): fragile, delicate (can refer to objects or health, implying vulnerability).
Synonyms
- Frail: weak and delicate.
- Delicate: very fine in texture or structure; easily broken or damaged.
- Gracile: slender; gracefully thin.
Related Idioms
- While kiều nhược itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it relates to the classical poetic trope of the frail, beautiful woman, often described in phrases like (a delicate beauty).