miệt

Một cô gái đang miệt mài vẽ tranh trong phòng học.

Definition

1. Verb (dialectal, Southern Vietnam):

   • To despise; to look down upon; to scorn: To regard someone or something as unworthy of respect or consideration.

2. Noun (dialectal, Southern Vietnam):

   • Region; area; locality: Refers to a specific geographical area or tract of land, often used in compound forms to name places.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Đừng có miệt nhau. (Don't look down on each other.)
  • Anh đừng có miệt nó. (You shouldn't scorn him/her.)

• Noun:

  • Miệt biển (the coastal region)
  • Miệt vườn (the orchard region; a term for areas in the Mekong Delta known for fruit orchards)

Advanced Usage

• The word "miệt" is primarily used in the dialects of Southern Vietnam. In standard or Northern Vietnamese, other words like "khinh" (to despise) or "vùng" (region) are more common.
• As a noun, it is almost never used alone in modern speech. Its primary function is in fixed compound nouns that name specific areas.

Variants and Related Words

• Miệt biển (n): coastal region.
• Miệt vườn (n): orchard region (specifically in the Mekong Delta).
• Miệt thứ (v, literary): to despise; to belittle. This is a more formal, literary compound verb.

Synonyms

• Verb: To despise, to scorn, to disdain, to look down on.
• Noun: Region, area, locality, tract.

Related Idioms

• Miệt mài: This is a distinct, common word meaning "to be engrossed in; to diligently apply oneself to (work/study)." It is not directly related to the meanings of scorn or region.
  • Nó miệt mài học bài. (He/She is diligently studying.)