nhõn
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adverb: - Only, merely, just: Indicates a very small remaining quantity or the lowest possible amount. It emphasizes scarcity or minimal presence.
Usage
- Used to describe a situation where only a very small amount of something remains, often implying it is the last or least possible.
- Typically precedes a numeral and a noun to specify what little is left.
Usage Examples
- (I have only ten thousand dong left in my wallet.)
- (After the epidemic, this village has only a few households left.)
- (There is just one cake left in the box.)
Advanced Usage
- "chỉ nhõn": An emphatic form combining "chỉ" (only) and "nhõn" to stress extreme scarcity.
- Cả ngày ăn uống, giờ chỉ nhõn vài chục ngàn. (After eating and drinking all day, now I have only a mere few tens of thousands left.)
- Used in informal, conversational contexts to convey a tone of complaint, resignation, or emphasis on how little remains.
Variants and Related Words
- Nhỏn (adv): A less common variant with the same meaning as "nhõn."
- Chỉ (adv): Only, merely. (A more common and standard synonym).
- Vỏn vẹn (adv): Merely, no more than. (Emphasizes a small, often surprisingly small, amount).
Synonyms
- Chỉ: only
- Vỏn vẹn: merely, just
- Độc nhất: sole, only one (but refers to uniqueness rather than quantity)
Notes
- "Nhõn" is primarily used in Northern Vietnamese dialects.
- It belongs to a colloquial and somewhat informal register. In formal writing, "chỉ" is preferred.
- The word often carries a subjective connotation, implying that the remaining amount is insufficient or lamentably small from the speaker's perspective.
- Only one left
- Còn nhõn có một đồngTo have only one dong left