Definition

1. Noun:
   • Fermented shrimp paste: A traditional Vietnamese condiment made from finely ground shrimp or krill that is fermented with salt, resulting in a pungent, salty, and savory paste. It has a distinctive strong aroma and is typically dark purple or grayish in color.
   • (Figurative) Extreme intensity: Used colloquially to describe something as being very strong, intense, or severe, often in a negative sense (e.g., a very spicy flavor, a fierce argument).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Bún đậu mắm tôm là món ăn đặc trưng của Hà Nội. (Bún đậu with fermented shrimp paste is a specialty dish of Hanoi.)
  • Mắm tôm có mùi rất đặc trưng. (Fermented shrimp paste has a very distinctive smell.)
  • Ớt này cay như mắm tôm. (This chili is as spicy as mắm tôm [i.e., extremely spicy].)

Advanced Usage

• "gắt như mắm tôm": An idiom meaning to be extremely harsh, severe, or intense; to fulminate or scold violently.
  • Ông chủ quát nhân viên gắt như mắm tôm. (The boss yelled at the employee extremely harshly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mắm (n): A general term for various types of Vietnamese fermented fish or seafood sauces and pastes.
  • Mắm nêm is another popular fermented fish sauce.

Synonyms

• Fermented shrimp paste: The direct English translation.
• Shrimp paste: A broader, less specific term (note: is a specific type within this category).
• Condiment: A general term for a substance used to add flavor to food.

Related Idioms

• Cay như mắm tôm: (Spicy) as strong as ; used to describe something as being extremely spicy or pungent.
  • Món lẩu này cay như mắm tôm. (This hot pot is extremely spicy.)