Definition

1. Verb:
   • To worry, to be anxious: The primary meaning of "lo nghĩ" is to have one's mind occupied with concerns, troubles, or potential future problems. It combines the ideas of worry ("lo") and thought ("nghĩ").
   • To ponder anxiously, to brood: It describes the act of thinking deeply and persistently about something that causes distress or unease.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cô ấy lo nghĩ nhiều về tương lai của con cái. (She worries a lot about her children's future.)
  • Đừng lo nghĩ quá nhiều về chuyện nhỏ. (Don't brood too much over small matters.)
  • Anh ấy cứ lo nghĩ suốt đêm không ngủ được. (He kept worrying all night and couldn't sleep.)

Advanced Usage

• "lo nghĩ vẩn vơ": to worry about trivial things, to have anxious, scattered thoughts.
  • Bà ấy hay lo nghĩ vẩn vơ về những chuyện không đâu. (She often frets about trivial, nonsensical things.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lo lắng (v): to worry, to be anxious. This is a very close synonym, slightly more common and often less focused on prolonged thought than "lo nghĩ."

  • Cả gia đình lo lắng cho sức khỏe của ông. (The whole family is worried about his health.)

• Suy nghĩ (v): to think, to consider. This is a neutral term for thinking, without the inherent connotation of worry.

  • Tôi cần thời gian để suy nghĩ về đề nghị đó. (I need time to think about that offer.)

Synonyms

• Worry: To feel anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.
• Fret: To be constantly or visibly worried or anxious.
• Brood: To think deeply about something that makes one unhappy.

Related Idioms

• Lo nghĩ quá hóa bệnh: Excessive worry leads to illness. This idiom warns that worrying too much can make you physically sick.
  • Bác sĩ khuyên anh ấy đừng lo nghĩ quá hóa bệnh. (The doctor advised him not to worry himself sick.)