nhì nhằng
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Average, middling, so-so: Describes something that is neither good nor bad, but just acceptable or mediocre. It indicates a state of being ordinary, unremarkable, or barely adequate.
- Tangled, convoluted, unclear: Refers to something that is messy, intertwined, or lacking clarity and distinct separation, such as complicated lines or confusing records.
- Flickering, zigzagging (of light): Describes light, especially lightning, that appears in a twisting, crisscrossing pattern.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (Average/Middling):
- Công việc làm ăn của họ vẫn chỉ nhì nhằng. (Their business is still just so-so.)
- "Anh khỏe không?" – "Cũng nhì nhằng." ("How are you?" – "Just average.")
- Adjective (Unclear/Tangled):
- Mấy vụ việc này nhì nhằng, khó giải quyết lắm. (These matters are tangled and very difficult to resolve.)
- Sổ sách ghi chép nhì nhằng, không kiểm tra được. (The bookkeeping is messy and unclear, making it impossible to audit.)
- Adjective (Flickering Light):
- Tia chớp nhì nhằng trên bầu trời. (Lightning flickered zigzag across the sky.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used to express a state of stagnation or merely getting by without improvement or decline.
- Cứ nhì nhằng thế này thì không phát triển được. (If we keep muddling along like this, we won't be able to develop.)
Variants and Related Words
- Nhập nhằng (adj): Ambiguous, vague, equivocal. This is a close synonym, especially for the "unclear" meaning.
- Lời giải thích nhập nhằng khó hiểu. (The ambiguous explanation is hard to understand.)
Synonyms
- So-so: Neither good nor bad.
- Mediocre: Of only moderate quality.
- Tangled: Complicated and confused.
- Indistinct: Not clear or sharply defined.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Ăn ở nhì nhằng: To live in a mediocre or ambiguous manner.
- Cả đời ông ấy ăn ở nhì nhằng, chẳng làm nên trò trống gì. (He lived a mediocre life all his years, never accomplishing anything significant.)
- Chuyện nhì nhằng: A convoluted, messy affair.
- Đừng dính vào mấy chuyện nhì nhằng đó. (Don't get involved in those messy affairs.)