Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Timid / Hesitant: A dialectal term describing a person's manner as shy, timid, or showing reluctance, often due to bashfulness or excessive caution.
   • Apprehensive / Fearful: Conveys a sense of being easily frightened or overly cautious, akin to being timorous.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đứa bé nhìn người lạ với vẻ ké né. (The child looked at the stranger with a timid expression.)
  • Cô ấy ké né không dám phát biểu. (She was too hesitant to speak up.)
  • Tính nó hơi ké né, ít khi dám thử điều mới. (He has a somewhat apprehensive nature, rarely daring to try new things.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "ké né" is primarily used in spoken Vietnamese, particularly in certain regional dialects. It describes a behavioral trait rather than a temporary state.

Variants and Related Words

• Rụt rè (adj): The standard Vietnamese word for shy, timid, or bashful. "Ké né" is a dialectal synonym.
  • Cậu bé rụt rè đứng sau lưng mẹ. (The shy boy stood behind his mother.)

Synonyms

• Timid: showing a lack of courage or confidence.
• Hesitant: tentative, unsure, or slow in acting or speaking.
• Apprehensive: anxious or fearful that something bad will happen.
• Timorous: showing or suffering from nervousness or a lack of confidence.

Related Idioms

• While "ké né" itself is not commonly part of fixed idioms, it describes behavior similar to that in the idiom:
  • Nhút nhát như thỏ đế: As timid as a rabbit (very shy/timid).

    • Đừng ké né nữa, mạnh dạn lên! Đừng nhút nhát như thỏ đế. (Don't be so hesitant anymore, be bolder! Don't be as timid as a rabbit.)

1. (tiếng địa phương) như rụt rè