lõng bõng

Bát canh này lõng bõng, chỉ có vài miếng rau.

Definition

Adjective:
- Very watery, overly diluted, having too much liquid relative to solid content: Describes a liquid mixture, especially food like soup or sauce, that is too thin, runny, or insubstantial because it contains an excessive amount of water or broth.
- Sparse, scattered, floating sparsely in liquid: Can describe solid items (like ingredients) that are few, far between, or floating loosely in a large amount of liquid.

Usage

Used primarily to describe the undesirable consistency of liquid-based foods (soup, broth, sauce, porridge) or, by extension, any mixture that is too thin.
Often carries a negative connotation, implying the food is poorly made, lacking richness, body, or flavor due to excessive dilution.
Can be used metaphorically in informal contexts to describe something insubstantial or sparse.

Examples

Adjective:
- Bát canh này lõng bõng toàn nước, chẳng có rau thịt gì. (This bowl of soup is watery; it's all broth with no vegetables or meat.)
- Nước chấm pha lõng bõng quá, chẳng đậm đà gì. (The dipping sauce is mixed too thin; it has no depth of flavor.)
- Mấy hạt đậu lõng bõng trong tô cháo. (A few beans are floating sparsely in the bowl of porridge.)

Advanced Usage / Nuances

"Lõng bõng nước": An emphatic form, explicitly meaning "full of/watery with water."
- Nồi lẩu để lâu thành ra lõng bõng nước. (The hot pot, left for too long, became watery.)
Metaphorical use: To describe speech, writing, or ideas that are insubstantial, vague, or lacking concrete content.
- Bài diễn văn nghe lõng bõng, không có điểm nhấn nào rõ ràng. (The speech sounded wishy-washy / insubstantial, with no clear key points.)

Variants and Related Words

Lỏng (adj): General term for "liquid," "fluid," or "loose." Can also mean "diluted," but less intense than "lõng bõng."
Lỏng lẻo (adj): Loose, slack, not tight (often for structures, discipline, or organization).
Lờng bờng (adj, informal): Very similar meaning to "lõng bõng," describing something overly diluted or sloshing with liquid.
Loãng (adj): Diluted, thin (can refer to liquids or, metaphorically, to density, like sparse population).

Synonyms

Loãng: Diluted, thin.
Nhạt phèo (colloquial): Very bland and watery.
Nhiều nước ít cái (descriptive phrase): Literally "much liquid, little substance."

Antonyms