Definition

1. Adverb:

   • Dimly; vaguely; indistinctly: Used to describe a perception, memory, or understanding that is unclear, faint, or not precise.

2. Adjective (less common):

   • Vague; hazy; indistinct: Describes something (like a memory or idea) that is unclear or not well-defined.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:
  • Tôi chỉ nhớ mang máng khuôn mặt của người đó. (I only vaguely remember that person's face.)
  • Anh ấy hiểu mang máng về nguyên lý hoạt động. (He has a dim/vague understanding of the operating principle.)
• Adjective:
  • Đó chỉ là một kiến thức mang máng. (That is just a hazy piece of knowledge.)

Advanced Usage

• "nhớ mang máng": to remember vaguely. This is a very common fixed collocation.
  • Cô ấy nhớ mang máng là đã để chìa khóa trên bàn. (She vaguely remembers leaving the keys on the table.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mơ hồ (adj): ambiguous, vague, obscure. This is a stronger and more formal synonym for the adjectival sense of "mang máng."
• Lờ mờ (adj): dim, faint, shadowy. Often used for visual perception or unclear situations.

Synonyms

• Vaguely
• Indistinctly
• Faintly
• Hazily

Related Idioms

• While "mang máng" itself is not typically part of longer idioms, the phrase "nhớ mang máng" functions as a standard idiomatic expression for a faint memory.

adv

1. dimly; vaguely
   • nhớ mang máng
     to remember vaguely