nằm ì
Definition
- Verb:
- To squat, to stay put stubbornly: To remain lying down or staying in one place and obstinately refuse to move or leave.
- To be inactive, to stagnate: To remain in a state of inaction or lack of progress, often implying laziness or stubbornness.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Nó nằm ì trên giường cả ngày mà không chịu dậy. (He squatted in bed all day and refused to get up.)
- Chiếc xe bị hỏng và phải nằm ì ở bên đường. (The broken-down car had to stay put by the roadside.)
- Công việc cứ nằm ì mãi, không có tiến triển gì. (The work just stagnated, with no progress at all.)
Advanced Usage
"nằm ì một chỗ": to stay put in one spot, emphasizing immobility.
- Con mèo nằm ì một chỗ trước lò sưởi. (The cat stayed put in one spot in front of the fireplace.)
"nằm ì ra đó": to sprawl/stay put there (often with a tone of complaint or observation).
- Đống sách vở nằm ì ra đó cả tuần rồi. (That pile of books has been sprawling there for a whole week.)
Variants and Related Words
Ỳ ra (verb, colloquial): to sprawl out, to lie about lazily. A more informal variant.
- Nó ỳ ra ghế sofa xem TV. (He sprawled out on the sofa watching TV.)
Nằm ườn (verb): to lie stretched out lazily. Shares the connotation of lazy inaction.
- Trời nóng quá, nó chỉ muốn nằm ườn trong phòng điều hòa. (It's so hot, he just wants to lie stretched out in the air-conditioned room.)
Synonyms
- Ở lì: to stay put stubbornly, to stick around.
- Trì trệ: to stagnate, to be sluggish (more formal, often for processes or situations).
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
- Nằm ì không nhúc nhích: to stay put without budging an inch.
- Nó nằm ì không nhúc nhích dù mẹ đã gọi nhiều lần. (He stayed put without budging even though his mother called many times.)
Related Idioms
- (Cứ) nằm ì như phỗng: to stay put/lie still like a statue (emphasizing complete motionlessness).
- Gọi nó dậy mà cứ nằm ì như phỗng. (I called him to get up but he just lay there like a statue.)
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Squat, stay on at a place and refuse to move
