nhóc nhách
Definition
- Adjective:
- Weak and barely moving: Describes a person, typically someone who has been severely ill, who is just beginning to be able to move or sit up again, but only with great feebleness and effort. It emphasizes a state of extreme physical debility and sluggish, minimal movement.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Ông ấy ốm liệt giường cả tháng, nay mới nhóc nhách được. (He was bedridden sick for a month, and now he's just barely starting to move.)
- Sau cơn sốt, đứa bé chỉ nhóc nhách trên giường, chưa thể chơi đùa. (After the fever, the child could only feebly shift in bed, not yet able to play.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is highly descriptive and is almost exclusively used in the context of convalescence or severe physical weakness. It paints a vivid picture of painfully slow and difficult initial movements after a period of incapacitation.
Variants and Related Words
- Nhúc nhích (v): to stir, to move slightly. This is a more general and common verb for small movements. "Nhóc nhách" carries a stronger connotation of sickness and frailty.
- Đứa bé nhúc nhích trong nôi. (The baby stirred in the crib.)
Synonyms
- Feeble: lacking physical strength.
- Frail: weak and delicate.
- To move feebly: to move with very little strength.
Related Idioms
- While "nhóc nhách" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, its usage is idiomatic to Vietnamese, describing a specific stage of recovery. A related concept is:
- Gượng dậy: to force oneself to sit up or get up (despite weakness).
- Bà ốm gượng dậy tiếp khách. (The sick woman forced herself to get up to receive guests.)