nhúm
Definition
Verb:
- To pinch / to take a pinch of: To pick up a small amount of something (like salt, herbs, tea) by bringing the tips of the fingers and thumb together.
- To sprout / to bud / to emerge slightly: To begin to grow or appear, often used for plants, shoots, or ideas.
Noun:
- A pinch / a small amount: The quantity of a substance that can be held between the tips of the fingers and thumb.
- A small group / a handful: A very small number of people or things.
Usage Examples
Verb:
- Đầu bếp nhúm một ít muối rắc lên món ăn. (The chef pinched a bit of salt to sprinkle on the dish.)
- Những mầm non mới nhúm lên khỏi mặt đất. (New buds have just sprouted from the ground.)
Noun:
- Cô ấy cho vào nồi một nhúm đường. (She put a pinch of sugar into the pot.)
- Chỉ có một nhúm người tham dự buổi họp. (Only a handful of people attended the meeting.)
Advanced Usage
- "nhúm lên": to sprout up, to emerge.
- Ý tưởng mới đang nhúm lên trong đầu anh ấy. (New ideas are sprouting up in his mind.)
Variants and Related Words
- Nhón nhúm (v): to gather or save little by little, often money.
- Họ nhón nhúm từng đồng để mua nhà. (They saved every penny to buy a house.)
Synonyms
- Verb: to pinch, to pluck, to sprout, to bud.
- Noun: a pinch, a dash, a smidgen, a handful, a small group.
Related Idioms
- Nhúm thành đám: to gather into a small cluster or group.
- Bọn trẻ nhúm thành đám ngoài sân. (The children gathered into a small cluster in the yard.)