ngắn hơi

ngắn hơi

Anh ấy chạy một đoạn ngắn đã thấy ngắn hơi.

Definition

  1. Adjective (idiomatic):

    • Short-winded; having shortness of breath: Describes a person or animal that becomes breathless quickly, lacking stamina or lung capacity for sustained physical exertion.
    • Short-lived; brief in duration: Describes something that lasts for only a very short time, ends quickly, or is transient.

  2. Adjective (figurative):

    • Lacking endurance or persistence: Describes a person who gives up easily, cannot sustain effort, or lacks staying power in non-physical contexts like work, study, or argument.
Usage Examples
  • Adjective:
    • Anh ấy leo cầu thang là bị ngắn hơi ngay. (He gets short-winded just from climbing the stairs.)
    • Cuộc biểu tình đó khá ngắn hơi, chỉ kéo dài một buổi sáng. (That protest was quite short-lived, lasting only one morning.)
    • Đừng hợp tác với hắn, hắn là người ngắn hơi, làm việc gì cũng bỏ dở. (Don't collaborate with him; he lacks persistence and abandons everything he starts.)
Advanced Usage
  • Often used in comparative forms or with degree modifiers.
    • Cậu ấy ngắn hơi hơn tôi tưởng. (He is more short-winded than I thought.)
    • Một kế hoạch quá ngắn hơi. (An overly short-sighted/short-lived plan.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Hụt hơi (adj/phrase): Literally "to be out of breath," often used more for the immediate physical sensation than the inherent lack of stamina.
  • Chóng tàn (adj): To fade quickly, ephemeral (often for phenomena, beauty, or trends).
  • Nhanh mệt (adj): To tire quickly (a more literal, non-idiomatic description).
Synonyms
  • Short-winded: For the primary physical meaning.
  • Short-lived: For the meaning related to duration.
  • Lacking stamina: For the figurative meaning of low endurance.
  • Fleeting: For something transient.
Related Idioms
  • Ăn ngắn hơi: To have a short-lived advantage or success.
    • Chiến thắng đó chỉ là ăn ngắn hơi thôi. (That victory was just a short-lived gain.)
  • Ngắn hơi như đom đóm: As short-lived as a firefly (emphasizing brief duration).
    • Hạnh phúc của họ ngắn hơi như đom đóm. (Their happiness was as fleeting as a firefly's light.)