lập cập
Definition
- Adjective/Adverb (descriptive reduplicative):
- To tremble or shake uncontrollably and repeatedly: Describes a physical state of shivering or quivering, typically due to cold, fear, or weakness. It emphasizes a continuous, noticeable, and often rapid shaking motion.
- To totter or walk unsteadily: Describes an unstable, faltering gait, as if about to fall, often due to old age, weakness, or poor vision.
Usage Examples
Describing Trembling:
- Ông cụ run lập cập vì lạnh. (The old man trembled uncontrollably from the cold.)
- Cô ấy sợ hãi, tay cầm tờ giấy lập cập. (She was frightened, her hands shaking as she held the paper.)
Describing Unsteady Movement:
- Cụ bà đi lập cập với chiếc gậy. (The old woman tottered along with her cane.)
- Đôi chân yếu khiến anh bước đi lập cập. (His weak legs made him walk unsteadily.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "lập cập" is often used in its reduplicated form for emphasis. The base form "lập cà lập cập" is an intensified variant, conveying an even stronger sense of shaking or instability.
- Chiếc xe cũ chạy lập cà lập cập trên đường. (The old car rattled and shook violently down the road.)
Variants and Related Words
- Run (v): to shake involuntarily. While "run" is the general verb for shaking, "lập cập" specifically describes the manner—a continuous, obvious tremor.
- Lảo đảo (adj/adv): to stagger, to reel. This relates more to swaying from dizziness or imbalance, whereas "lập cập" often implies a finer, quicker shaking or a frail, hesitant walk.
Synonyms
- Tremble: to shake involuntarily.
- Shiver: to shake slightly, especially from cold or fear.
- Totter: to walk or move unsteadily.
- Quiver: to shake with a slight, rapid motion.
Related Idioms
- While "lập cập" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is commonly used in descriptive phrases to vividly depict physical state:
- Run như cầy sấy: to shake like a leaf (idiom for trembling heavily). "Lập cập" describes the visible action within such a state.