Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Ragged; tattered; shabby: Describes clothing that is worn out, torn, and in poor condition.
   • Hardworking in a state of poverty; toiling and struggling: Describes a person or life characterized by constant, arduous labor and hardship, often under poor and deprived conditions.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Những người nông dân ăn mặc lam lũ. (The farmers dressed in ragged clothes.)
  • Bà ấy đã có một cuộc đời lam lũ để nuôi các con ăn học. (She had a life of toil and hardship to raise and educate her children.)
  • Công việc lam lũ trên đồng ruộng. (The toilsome work in the rice fields.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "lam lũ" often carries a connotation of dignity within struggle, implying relentless effort and endurance despite a difficult, impoverished situation. It is not merely about being poor but actively laboring under that condition.

Variants and Related Words

• Lấm lem (adj): Smudged, dirty (often with mud or dirt), typically from manual work. While "lam lũ" implies hardship and raggedness, "lấm lem" specifically describes being soiled.
  • Đứa trẻ chân tay lấm lem bùn đất. (The child's hands and feet were smudged with mud.)

Synonyms

• Shabby: Worn and torn from long use or neglect.
• Tattered: Torn into shreds; ragged.
• Toiling: Working extremely hard or incessantly.
• Hardscrabble: Involving hard work and struggle, especially for a meager living.

Related Idioms

• Chân lấm tay bùn: Literally "feet muddy, hands dirty." This idiom describes someone who works hard with their hands, often in agriculture, and is closely related to the imagery evoked by "lam lũ".
  • Ông ấy là một người nông dân chân lấm tay bùn. (He is a farmer with feet muddy and hands dirty.)

adj

1. ragged; tattered; shabby