nghiêng nghiêng
Definition
- Adjective:
- Slightly tilted / leaning: Describes an object or posture that is not perfectly vertical or horizontal, but is at a slight, often gentle, angle. It implies a moderate degree of inclination, not a severe or dramatic slant.
- Somewhat askew: Indicates a state of being a little off-center or not perfectly straight.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Bức tranh treo nghiêng nghiêng trên tường. (The picture hangs slightly tilted on the wall.)
- Cô ấy ngồi nghiêng nghiêng, chống cằm suy nghĩ. (She sat leaning somewhat to the side, resting her chin in thought while thinking.)
- Cái cây mọc nghiêng nghiêng vì gió. (The tree grows somewhat askew because of the wind.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "nghiêng nghiêng" is a reduplicative form (lặp từ) of the base adjective "nghiêng" (tilted, leaning). Reduplication often softens the meaning, indicating a lesser degree or a more gentle, continuous state. It can add a descriptive, sometimes poetic or observational, nuance.
Variants and Related Words
Nghiêng (adj, v): Tilted, leaning; to tilt, to lean.
- Mặt bàn bị nghiêng. (The tabletop is tilted.)
Nghiêng ngả (adj): Describes something leaning or tilting in an unsteady, precarious, or pronounced manner.
- Ngôi nhà nghiêng ngả sau trận bão. (The house leaned precariously after the storm.)
Synonyms
- Slightly slanted
- At a gentle incline
- Somewhat tilted
Related Idioms and Phrases
Nghiêng nước nghiêng thành: (Idiom from the base word "nghiêng") Literally "to tilt cities and topple states," used to describe a woman of breathtaking beauty.
- Sắc đẹp nghiêng nước nghiêng thành. (A beauty that could topple cities and states.)
Nghiêng bên nọ, ngả bên kia: To be unsteady, to waver between sides or opinions.
- Anh ấy đứng không vững, nghiêng bên nọ ngả bên kia. (He stood unsteadily, swaying from side to side.)