mấp mé
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To be on the verge of / to be very close to: Describes a state where something is extremely near to a specific limit, threshold, or edge, almost touching or reaching it.
- To barely reach / to graze: Indicates that the level or surface of one thing is almost exactly even with another, often used for liquids or physical boundaries.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Nước sông mấp mé mặt đê. (The river water was on the verge of the dyke's surface.)
- Tuổi ông ấy đã mấp mé sáu mươi. (His age is verging on sixty.)
- Chiếc xe mấp mé bên miệng hố. (The car was teetering on the edge of the pit.)
Advanced Usage
- Used figuratively to describe being on the brink of a non-physical limit, such as an age, a score, or a state.
- Điểm số của cậu ấy mấp mé ngưỡng đỗ. (His score was just on the verge of passing.)
Variants and Related Words
- Mấp mô (adj): uneven, rough (describing a surface). This is a different word but sometimes confused due to similar spelling.
- Con đường mấp mô. (The road is bumpy.)
Synonyms
- To verge on: To be very close to a state or condition.
- To border on: To be almost identical to or reach the edge of something.
- To graze: To touch or come very close to a surface lightly.
Related Idioms
- While "mấp mé" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, its meaning is central to expressions describing proximity to a limit.
- Mấp mé bờ vực: To be on the brink of a precipice (often used figuratively for danger or failure).
- Công ty đó đang mấp mé bờ vực phá sản. (That company is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.)