Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Smooth, even: Having a surface that is level, flat, and without roughness, bumps, or hair.
   • Completely gone, used up, clean: Describing a state where nothing remains; completely empty or spent.
   • Very familiar, worn smooth (figurative): Describing a path, face, or thing that is extremely well-known due to repeated use or exposure.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Smooth):
  • Bào tấm gỗ cho thật nhẵn. (Plane the wooden board until it is very smooth.)
  • Lá cây này mặt trên rất nhẵn. (The top surface of this leaf is very smooth.)
• Adjective (Empty/Spent):
  • Nó tiêu nhẵn hết cả tiền. (He spent all the money clean.)
  • Túi tôi nhẵn rồi, không còn một xu. (My pocket is empty now, not a penny left.)
• Adjective (Familiar):
  • Tôi đi nhẵn con đường này rồi. (I am very familiar with this road / I have worn this path smooth.)
  • Mấy khuôn mặt ấy đã nhẵn mắt. (Those faces are very familiar to me now.)

Advanced Usage

• The word nhẵn can be used metaphorically to imply that something has been worn down or made smooth through excessive or repeated action, leading to familiarity or depletion.
• "nhẵn mặt": to be very familiar with someone's face (often implying over-familiarity or seeing them too often).
  • Ông chủ đã nhẵn mặt với những lời xin lỗi của nó. (The boss is all too familiar with his apologies.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nhăn nhẵn (adj): A reduplicated form that slightly softens the intensity, meaning "rather smooth" or "quite smooth."
  • Mặt bàn được đánh bóng nhăn nhẵn. (The tabletop was polished quite smooth.)
• Nhẵn bóng (adj): Polished smooth, glossy.
  • Sàn đá cẩm thạch nhẵn bóng. (The marble floor is polished smooth and glossy.)

Synonyms

• Smooth: Having an even and regular surface.
• Even: Flat and level.
• Bare, empty: Containing nothing.
• Familiar, well-trodden: Well known from long or close association.

Related Idioms

• Nhẵn túi: To be flat broke, to have empty pockets.
  • Sau chuyến du lịch, cả bọn nhẵn túi. (After the trip, the whole group was flat broke.)
• Cạo nhẵn: To shave smooth (literally); can be used figuratively for cleaning something out completely.
  • Bọn chuột cạo nhẵn cả đĩa thức ăn. (The mice cleaned the plate of food completely.)

1. Smooth, even
   • Bào thật nhẵn
     To plane (something) smooth
2. Clean
   • Tiêu nhẵn hết cả tiền
     To clean spend one's money
3. Very familiar
   • Đi nhẵn đường
     To use some road very familiarly