nhũn
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Courteous and modest: Describes a polite, humble, and unassuming attitude or manner.
- Very soft, overripe, pulpy: Describes something that is extremely soft, often to the point of being mushy, especially referring to overripe fruit.
Usage Examples
Adjective (Courteous/Modest):
- Anh ấy có thái độ rất nhũn khi nói chuyện với sếp. (He has a very courteous and modest attitude when talking to his boss.)
- Đừng nhũn quá, hãy tự tin lên một chút. (Don't be overly modest, be a bit more confident.)
Adjective (Soft/Overripe):
- Những quả chuối này đã chín nhũn, không ăn được nữa. (These bananas are pulpily ripe and can no longer be eaten.)
- Trái hồng chín nhũn, thịt rất ngọt. (The persimmon is crumblingly ripe, and the flesh is very sweet.)
Advanced Usage
"nhũn như con chi chi": An idiom describing an excessively modest, shy, or self-effacing attitude, often to the point of seeming timid or overly deferential.
- Cô ấy nhũn như con chi chi, chẳng dám phát biểu ý kiến gì. (She is overly modest and doesn't dare to express any opinion.)
"xử nhũn": A phrase meaning to act in a more flexible, accommodating, or yielding manner than before, often to de-escalate a situation.
- Thấy đối phương nóng nảy, anh ta quyết định xử nhũn để tránh xung đột. (Seeing the other party was hot-tempered, he decided to soft-pedal to avoid conflict.)
Variants and Related Words
nhũn nhùn (reduplicative form, intensive meaning): Emphasizes a state of being very soft, crumbling, or completely overripe.
- Quả na chín nhũn nhùn. (The custard apple is crumblingly ripe.)
nhùn nhũn (reduplicative form, attenuative meaning): Suggests something is slightly soft or beginning to become overripe.
- Trái xoài hơi nhùn nhũn, nên ăn sớm đi. (The mango is slightly soft, so you should eat it soon.)
Synonyms
- Khiêm tốn, nhã nhặn (for the modest meaning): Humble, polite.
- Mềm nhũn, nát (for the soft meaning): Mushy, pulpy, rotten-soft.
Related Phrases
- Ăn nói nhũn: To speak in a gentle, humble, and polite manner.
- Dù bực mình, anh ấy vẫn ăn nói rất nhũn. (Even though he was annoyed, he still spoke very courteously.)
Related Idioms
- Cứng thì gãy, mềm thì nhũn: An idiom meaning "If it's hard, it will break; if it's soft, it will become mushy." It is used to advise flexibility and adaptability, suggesting that neither extreme rigidity nor excessive softness is ideal.
- Trong đàm phán, phải biết linh hoạt, cứng thì gãy, mềm thì nhũn mà. (In negotiation, you must be flexible; you know, if it's hard, it will break, if it's soft, it will become mushy.)
- Courteous and modest
- Thái độ nhũnA courteous and modest attitude
- Nhũn như con chi chiTo show an overmodest attitude
- Xử nhũnTo soft pedal, to show more flexibility than before
- Very soft
- Quả chuối nhũnA very soft banana
- Chín nhũnPulpily ripe overripe
- nhũn nhùn (láy, ý tăng)Crumblingly soft, crumblingly ripe
- Quả na chín nhũn nhùnA crumblingly ripe custard-apple