Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Sunken, hollow, dented: Describes something that is concave, depressed, or has caved inwards, often due to pressure, impact, or age.
   • Flattened: Can describe an object that has lost its original shape and become flat in a specific area.

2. Verb (colloquial):

   • To become dented/hollow: To become concave or sunken.
   • To flatten: To cause something to lose its shape and become concave.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Cụ già má đã móp. (The old man already has sunken cheeks.)
  • Cái hộp thiếc bị móp một bên. (The tin can is dented on one side.)
  • Sau tai nạn, cánh cửa xe bị móp. (After the accident, the car door was dented.)

• Verb:

  • Va mạnh vào tường, xe đạp bị móp vành. (Hitting the wall hard, the bicycle rim got bent/dented.)
  • Đừng ngồi lên hộp, nó sẽ móp mất. (Don't sit on the box; it will get crushed/flattened.)

Advanced Usage

• "móp méo": Severely dented, crumpled, or misshapen. This compound emphasizes a worse state of deformation.
  • Chiếc xe cũ nát, thân xe móp méo. (The old wreck of a car has a crumpled body.)
• "móp đầu": To have a dented/depressed head (literal) or, figuratively, to be scolded or beaten (very colloquial/slang).
  • Nó bị thầy giáo mắng móp đầu. (He was scolded severely by the teacher. [Lit: ...until his head was dented])

Variants and Related Words

• Móp mó (adj): Slightly dented or concave. A reduplicative form indicating a lesser degree.
  • Cái nắp bị móp mó một chút. (The lid is slightly dented.)
• Móp as a component in other words:
  • Bẹp móp (adj): Completely flattened and dented.
  • Móp mép (adj, slang): Describes someone who is exhausted, worn out, or has talked until they are hoarse (lit: sunken lips).

Synonyms

• Lõm: Hollow, concave. (Often interchangeable with , but can describe a natural hollow, while often implies damage.)
• Bẹp: Flattened, squashed. (Emphasizes being flat rather than just concave.)
• Xẹp: Deflated, flattened (often for inflatable things).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As 'móp' is primarily an adjective, it does not have true phrasal verbs. However, it is commonly used in passive constructions with 'bị' (to be) to describe the state of something. - bị móp: to be dented/sunken. - Xe tôi bị móp cốp sau. (My car's trunk is dented.)

Related Idioms

• Má hóp mồm móm: A phrase describing an elderly person with sunken cheeks and mouth, emphasizing signs of old age. ( means toothless.)
  • Cụ bà đã già, má hóp mồm móm. (The old lady is aged, with sunken cheeks and a toothless mouth.)

1. Sunken
   • Đầu đã bạc, má đã móp
     To already have hoary hair ad sunken cheeks