làu làu
Definition
- Adverb:
- Fluently; without hesitation: Describes the act of reciting, reading, or speaking something smoothly, from memory or text, without stumbling or pausing.
- Completely; entirely; utterly: An older, literary usage meaning something is done thoroughly or to a total extent.
Usage Examples
Adverb (Fluently):
- Cậu bé đọc bài thơ làu làu. (The boy recited the poem fluently.)
- Nó trả lời các câu hỏi làu làu. (He answered the questions without a hitch.)
Adverb (Completely - literary):
- Nạn xưa trút sạch làu làu. (Old misfortunes were utterly cast away.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used to emphasize perfect memorization or mastery of verbal material, such as prayers, lessons, or poems.
- The literary sense of "completely" is now rare and found primarily in classical poetry or texts.
Variants and Related Words
- Làu (adj/adv): Often used in "thuộc làu" meaning to know something by heart perfectly.
- Nó thuộc làu bài học. (He knows the lesson by heart.)
Synonyms
- Fluently: Speaking or reading smoothly.
- By heart: From memory.
- Without a hitch: Without any problems or interruptions.
- Utterly (literary): Completely, totally.
Related Idioms
- Thuộc làu làu: To have memorized something perfectly and be able to recall it effortlessly.
- Cháu thuộc làu làu bảng cửu chương. (The child has the multiplication table memorized perfectly.)