Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Vague; faint; diffuse: Describes a feeling, emotion, or atmosphere that is subtly pervasive, not intense or sharply defined, but softly and widely present.
   • Immense; vast; expansive: Describes a physical space, such as a landscape or field, that appears extremely wide, open, and boundless.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Emotion/Atmosphere):
  • Cô ấy có một nỗi buồn man mác. (She has a vague, lingering sadness.)
  • Một cảm giác man mác về những ngày đã qua. (A faint, wistful feeling about days gone by.)
• Adjective (Physical Space):
  • Cánh đồng lúa man mác đến tận chân trời. (The rice field is immense, stretching to the horizon.)

Advanced Usage

• Literary and poetic use: "Man mác" is primarily used in literary, poetic, or descriptive contexts to evoke a subtle, melancholic mood or a sense of vast, open space. It is rarely used in casual, everyday conversation.

Variants and Related Words

• Mênh mông (adj): vast, immense, boundless (often for physical spaces or abstract concepts like love, sorrow). This is a stronger, more common synonym for the "immense" sense.
• Lờ mờ (adj): dim, faint, vague (often for visual perception or unclear ideas). This relates more to the "vague" sense but lacks the pervasive, emotional quality of "man mác".

Synonyms

• Vague: of indefinite or indistinct nature.
• Faint: lacking strength or intensity.
• Diffuse: spread out; not concentrated.
• Immense: extremely large or great.
• Vast: of very great extent or size.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Buồn man mác: a set phrase meaning "a vague, pervasive sadness" or "a tinge of melancholy."
  • Không gian yên tĩnh gợi lên một nỗi buồn man mác. (The quiet space evoked a vague, pervasive sadness.)

adj

1. vague; immense