Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Taciturn / sullen: Describes a person who is habitually silent, uncommunicative, or gloomy, often due to being in a bad mood, deep in thought, or having a reserved personality. It implies a quiet, withdrawn, and sometimes stubborn demeanor.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cậu bé ấy trông thật lầm lì. (That boy looks very sullen.)
  • Anh ấy ngồi lầm lì một mình cả buổi tối. (He sat taciturn by himself all evening.)
  • Tính nó lầm lì, ít khi nói chuyện với ai. (He has a taciturn nature, rarely talking to anyone.)

Advanced Usage

• The word can be reduplicated for emphasis as "lầm lầm lì lì", intensifying the meaning of being extremely sullen or uncommunicative.
  • Nghe tin đó, anh ta cứ ngồi lầm lầm lì lì. (Upon hearing that news, he just sat there, utterly sullen.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lầm lì is sometimes considered a variant or stronger form of "lầm lỳ", which carries a very similar meaning of sullen silence.

Synonyms

• Taciturn: Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.
• Sullen: Bad-tempered and sulky; gloomy.
• Morose: Sullen and ill-tempered.
• Reticent: Not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily.

Related Idioms

• While not a direct idiom, the behavior is often described in phrases like "mặt lầm lì" (a sullen face) or "tính lầm lì" (a taciturn character).