nhũng nha nhũng nhẵng
Definition
- Adjective (Reduplicative Compound):
- Dawdling, dilly-dallying, procrastinating: Describes an action performed in a slow, drawn-out, hesitant, and indecisive manner, often implying a lack of seriousness or purpose, resulting in wasted time and inefficiency.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Đừng có nhũng nha nhũng nhẵng nữa, làm nhanh lên! (Stop dilly-dallying, hurry up and do it!)
- Công việc mãi chưa xong vì anh ta cứ nhũng nha nhũng nhẵng. (The work is still not done because he keeps dawdling.)
- Tính nó hay nhũng nha nhũng nhẵng mỗi khi chuẩn bị đi học. (He has a habit of procrastinating every time he gets ready for school.)
Advanced Usage
- This is a vivid, expressive reduplicative phrase often used in spoken language for emphasis. The repetition and rhyme () intensify the sense of irritating slowness and indecision.
Variants and Related Words
- Nhũng nhẵng (adj): A shorter, less emphatic form with the same core meaning of being slow, dragging, and indecisive.
Synonyms
- Dawdling: Wasting time by being slow or idle.
- Procrastinating: Delaying or postponing action.
- Dilly-dallying: Wasting time through indecision or trivial activity.
- Hesitant: Tentative, unsure, or slow in acting.
Related Idioms
- While not a standalone idiom, the phrase "nhũng nha nhũng nhẵng" itself functions idiomatically to paint a picture of inefficient, time-wasting behavior.