Definition

1. Verb:
   • To lie curled up, to lie in a fetal position: "nằm khoèo" describes the action of lying down with the body bent or curled up, often with the knees drawn towards the chest.
   • To stay put, to be inactive: Figuratively, it means to stay in one place without engaging in any activity or going out.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đứa bé nằm khoèo trên giường ngủ. (The child is lying curled up in bed asleep.)
  • Ông ấy chỉ thích nằm khoèo ở nhà xem tivi. (He just likes to stay put at home watching TV.)
  • Mệt quá, tôi về nằm khoèo một giấc đã. (I'm so tired, I'm going home to curl up and sleep first.)

Advanced Usage

• The word often carries a nuance of being lazy, inactive, or comfortably withdrawn in one's private space.
  • Cả ngày cuối tuần nó cứ nằm khoèo trong phòng. (He just stayed curled up in his room all weekend long.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nằm quèo: A common variant with the same meaning.
• Nằm co: To lie curled up. This is a more general term for the physical posture.
• Nằm khàn: (Regional/Less common) To lie still, often due to illness or lethargy.

Synonyms

• Nằm co quắp: To lie all curled up (emphasizes the contorted posture).
• Thu mình: To withdraw, to shrink back (can be used figuratively for inactivity).
• Ủ rũ: To be listless, droopy (describes a state of low energy, often while lying down).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Nằm khoèo một chỗ: To stay put in one spot.
  • Nó quyết định nằm khoèo một chỗ đọc sách cả ngày. (He decided to stay put in one spot reading books all day.)

Related Idioms

• While "nằm khoèo" itself is descriptive, it is used in contexts similar to the English idiom "to curl up (with a book)" or the figurative sense of "to hole up" somewhere.
  • Mùa đông lạnh, thích nhất là nằm khoèo trong chăn. (In the cold winter, the best thing is to curl up under the blanket.)

1. cũng như nằm quèo, nằm co, nằm khàn