ngang lưng
Definition
- Adjective / Adverb:
- At waist level / Waist-high: Describes a position, height, or location that is level with or corresponds to the waist of a standing person.
- Across the waist / At the small of the back: Refers to something positioned horizontally around the waist area.
Usage Examples
- Adjective / Adverb:
- Nước lũ dâng lên ngang lưng. (The floodwater rose to waist level.)
- Cô ấy buộc tóc ngang lưng. (She wears her hair at waist length.)
- Đứa trẻ mới cao ngang lưng mẹ. (The child is only waist-high to his mother.)
Advanced Usage
- Used to describe the location of an object, a body of water, or a point of measurement relative to the human waist.
- Can be used figuratively to indicate a midpoint or a level that is not very high.
Variants and Related Words
- Ngang: A general preposition/adjective meaning "horizontal," "across," or "level with."
- Thắt lưng: Noun meaning "waist" or specifically "belt."
Synonyms
- Waist-high: At the height of one's waist.
- At waist level: Positioned at the level of the waist.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Ngang lưng trời: Poetic expression meaning "at the horizon" or "where the sky meets the earth," implying a distant, level line.
- Con thuyền nhỏ dần ở phía ngang lưng trời. (The small boat gradually disappeared toward the horizon.)