Definition

1. Adverb:
   • Stealthily, furtively, quietly: Describes moving or acting in a secretive, unobtrusive manner, often alone and trying to avoid attention.
   • Solitarily, keeping to oneself: Describes a state of being alone and withdrawn, often with a connotation of sadness or isolation.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:
  • Anh ấy lui lủi về nhà sau buổi họp. (He stealthily went home after the meeting.)
  • Con mèo lui lủi dưới gầm bàn. (The cat lurked quietly under the table.)
  • Cô ấy sống lui lủi một mình trong căn nhà nhỏ. (She lives a solitary, withdrawn life in the small house.)

Advanced Usage

• "lui lủi một mình": to be alone and keep to oneself, often implying loneliness or a desire to avoid social contact.

  • Ông cụ lui lủi một mình trong vườn cả ngày. (The old man kept quietly to himself in the garden all day.)

• "lui lủi đi": to leave or go away stealthily.

  • Nó lui lủi đi mà không chào ai. (He slipped away without saying goodbye to anyone.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lủi thủi (adverb): Similar to "lui lủi," but often emphasizes a more pitiful, lonely, or dejected state of being alone.

  • Lủi thủi một mình nơi đất khách. (All alone and forlorn in a foreign land.)

• Lén lút (adverb): Secretively, sneakily. While "lén lút" implies intentional secrecy for potentially dubious reasons, "lui lủi" focuses more on quiet, unobtrusive movement, often with a neutral or sad tone.

  • Hành động lén lút. (To act sneakily.)

Synonyms

• Âm thầm: silently, quietly (focuses on the lack of sound).
• Lặng lẽ: quietly, peacefully (focuses on calmness and lack of disturbance).
• Lẻ loi: lonely, solitary (focuses on the state of being alone).

Related Idioms

• Lui cui, lui lủi: This is a reduplicative phrase that reinforces the meaning of being busy in a quiet, solitary, or humble way, often with one's head down.
  • Bà cụ lui cui, lui lủi trong bếp. (The old woman was busily and quietly puttering around in the kitchen.)

Notes on Meaning

• The word "lui lủi" often carries an emotional nuance. It can describe simple, quiet movement but frequently implies a sense of solitude, melancholy, or a desire not to be seen. It is not typically used for positive, cheerful solitude.
• It primarily functions as an adverb modifying verbs of motion or state (e.g., đi, về, sống).