lấm láp
Definition
- Adjective:
- Smeared, dirtied, or soiled (with mud, dirt, or grime): Describes an object, clothing, or person that has become dirty, typically from mud, dust, or similar substances, often in a visible and messy way.
- Covered in grime: Indicates a state of being covered or stained with dirt.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Sau trận mưa, đôi giày của tôi trông thật lấm láp. (After the rain, my shoes looked all muddy.)
- Đứa trẻ chơi ngoài vườn và trở về với bộ quần áo lấm láp. (The child played in the garden and returned with clothes smeared with dirt.)
- Chiếc xe tải sau chuyến đi đường dài trông lấm láp bụi đường. (The truck looked grimy with road dust after the long trip.)
Advanced Usage
- Used to emphasize a state of disarray or untidiness due to dirt: While primarily about dirt, it can imply a general untidy appearance resulting from being soiled.
- Gương mặt lấm láp mồ hôi và bụi. (A face smeared with sweat and dust.)
Variants and Related Words
- Lấm (adj): A shorter, more common form meaning dirty or soiled. "Lấm láp" is an intensified or more descriptive variant.
- Tay nó lấm bùn. (His/her hands are muddy.)
- Lấm lem (adj): Very similar in meaning, often used interchangeably, perhaps with a slight nuance of being smeared or streaked with dirt.
- Mặt mũi lấm lem. (A face streaked with dirt.)
Synonyms
- Bẩn: Dirty (general term).
- Nhem nhuốc: Grimy, filthy (often stronger, implying a more ingrained dirtiness).
- Vấy bẩn: Stained, soiled (focuses on the act of something dirty contacting a surface).
Idioms and Common Phrases
- (Người/Đồ vật) lấm láp bụi đường: (A person/thing) covered in the dust of the road. Used literally or figuratively to describe someone who has traveled far or been through hardships.
- Anh ấy trở về từ chuyến công tác dài ngày, người lấm láp bụi đường. (He returned from a long business trip, covered in the dust of the road.)