lăn kềnh
Definition
- Verb (informal, often humorous or descriptive):
- To flop down heavily; to plop down: To let one's body fall or drop onto a surface (like a bed, mat, or chair) in a careless, relaxed, or exhausted manner, typically resulting in a supine or sprawled position.
- To lie sprawled out; to be stretched out: To be in a state of lying down flat on one's back, often implying a lack of grace or a posture of complete relaxation or fatigue.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Về đến nhà, anh ấy lăn kềnh xuống giường ngay. (Getting home, he flopped down heavily onto the bed immediately.)
- Đứa trẻ lăn kềnh ra sàn chơi đùa. (The child sprawled out on the floor to play.)
- Mệt quá, tôi chỉ muốn lăn kềnh xuống ghế sofa. (I'm so tired, I just want to plop down onto the sofa.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "lăn kềnh" carries a vivid, slightly exaggerated visual imagery. It is not used for gentle or careful lying down. It often conveys a sense of surrendering to gravity due to tiredness, comfort, or laziness.
- It is more common in spoken Vietnamese or informal descriptive writing.
Variants and Related Words
- Nằm kềnh (v): To lie sprawled out. This variant focuses more on the state of being sprawled rather than the action of flopping down.
- Nó nằm kềnh ra giữa nhà. (He lay sprawled out in the middle of the room.)
Synonyms
- Flop down: To sit or lie down in a heavy, relaxed, and sudden way.
- Plop down: To sit or lie down with a soft, heavy sound or motion.
- Sprawl: To lie or sit with one's limbs stretched out in a careless or awkward way.
Related Idioms
- While "lăn kềnh" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, its imagery is used descriptively to paint a picture of utter relaxation or exhaustion.