lè xè
Definition
- Adjective / Adverb:
- Flying very low: Describes something, typically a bird or aircraft, moving through the air at a very low altitude, close to the ground or another surface.
- Extending or spreading out low and wide: Can describe something flat, broad, or drooping that hangs or spreads out close to a surface, often implying a lack of height or elevation.
Usage Examples
- Adjective / Adverb:
- Những con chim én bay lè xè trên mặt nước. (The swallows were flying very low over the water.)
- Mái hiên lè xè gần chạm đất. (The eaves spread out low, almost touching the ground.)
- Mây đen kéo đến lè xè trên những ngọn cây. (Dark clouds rolled in, hanging low over the treetops.)
Advanced Usage
- Used poetically or descriptively to evoke imagery of something skimming a surface, often with a sense of grace, heaviness, or impending contact.
- Chiếc diều bị đứt dây, bay lè xè mấy vòng rồi rơi. (The kite's string broke; it flew low for a few circles before falling.)
Variants and Related Words
- Lè tè (adj/adv): An informal, often more playful variant meaning very low, squat, or close to the ground.
- Chiếc xe lè tè. (The squat, low-slung car.)
Synonyms
- Skimming: To move quickly and lightly over a surface.
- Low-flying: Flying at a low altitude.
- Drooping: Hanging down limply.
Related Idioms
- Lè xè như cánh diều đứt dây: (To be) as low and aimless as a kite with a broken string. Describes something moving or hanging listlessly and without control.
- Tinh thần anh ấy sau thất bại lè xè như cánh diều đứt dây. (His spirit after the failure was as low and aimless as a kite with a broken string.)