Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Very shallow, extremely shallow: "nông sờ" describes something with very little depth, emphasizing a greater degree of shallowness than the base word "nông" (shallow).

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Con suối này nông sờ, trẻ con có thể lội qua dễ dàng. (This stream is extremely shallow; children can easily wade across.)
  • Ao nông sờ nên nước rất nhanh bị cạn. (The pond is very shallow, so the water dries up quickly.)
  • Vùng biển gần bờ nông sờ, thích hợp cho người mới học bơi. (The sea near the shore is very shallow, suitable for beginners learning to swim.)

Advanced Usage

• Literary/Descriptive Use: The term is often used in literary or descriptive contexts to vividly emphasize a lack of depth, sometimes metaphorically.
  • Tình cảm nông sờ không thể bền vững. (Extremely shallow feelings cannot last.)
  • Kiến thức nông sờ sẽ dễ bị lật đổ. (Very shallow knowledge is easily overturned.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nông (adj): Shallow. This is the standard, more common base word.
  • Hồ nông (shallow lake)
• Cạn (adj): Dry, shallow (often implying a lack of water). It can be synonymous in some contexts regarding depth.
  • Sông cạn (dry/shallow river)

Synonyms

• Nông cạn (adj): Shallow (often used for abstract concepts like knowledge or thoughts, but can also describe physical depth). This is a close synonym.
• Cạn (adj): As above, can mean shallow (of water bodies).

Notes on Meaning

• Degree of Intensity: "Nông sờ" is an intensified form of "nông." It is not a standard compound but a colloquial or literary reinforcement, similar to adding "very" or "extremely" in English.
• Context: While it can describe physical shallowness (rivers, ponds), it is also effectively used in figurative language to criticize something (e.g., understanding, relationships) as being superficial or lacking depth.

1. Shallow, not deep