mò mò
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Groping, fumbling, searching blindly or uncertainly: Describes the action of feeling or searching for something with one's hands, often in the dark or without clear vision, implying a slow, tentative, and uncertain manner.
- Figuratively, proceeding hesitantly or by trial and error: Used to describe attempting to do something without clear knowledge, guidance, or a plan, moving forward slowly and cautiously.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Trời tối quá, tôi phải mò mò tìm công tắc đèn. (It's too dark; I had to fumble around to find the light switch.)
- Anh ấy không có kinh nghiệm nên cứ mò mò làm từng bước một. (He has no experience, so he just gropes his way through, doing it step by step.)
- Đứa bé mò mò trong túi để tìm kẹo. (The child fumbled in the bag to find candy.)
Advanced Usage
- "Làm việc gì một cách mò mò": to do something by groping/feeling one's way, to proceed tentatively.
- Dự án mới nên cả nhóm phải làm mò mò. (It's a new project, so the whole team has to feel their way through it.)
Variants and Related Words
- Mò (verb): to grope, to fumble, to feel for. This is the root word.
- Mò cá (to grope for fish), mò mẫm (to grope around).
- Mò mẫm (adjective): a synonym with a very similar meaning of groping or fumbling uncertainly.
Synonyms
- Dò dẫm: to feel one's way, to proceed cautiously (often used literally for moving in the dark and figuratively).
- Lần mò: to grope one's way, to proceed slowly and摸索 (mōsuǒ).
Notes on Usage
- "Mò mò" is a reduplicative form (từ láy) of the root verb "mò". Reduplication often adds a sense of continuity, repetition, or attenuation to the base meaning. Here, it emphasizes the slow, continuous, and uncertain nature of the action.
- It is primarily used in informal, spoken Vietnamese.
- The reference "xem mò (láy)" indicates that the full definition is understood by looking at the root word "mò", and that "mò mò" is its reduplicated form.
- xem mò (láy)