nhặt thưa
Definition
Adjective:
- Describes a pattern, arrangement, or distribution that is alternately dense and sparse, or sometimes close together and sometimes far apart. It indicates irregular spacing or inconsistent frequency.
- Describes an action or occurrence that is intermittent, alternating between being rapid/frequent and slow/infrequent.
Adverb:
- In a manner that is alternately dense and sparse; occurring with irregular intervals or inconsistent intensity.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Những cây trong khu rừng mọc nhặt thưa. (The trees in the forest grow with alternating density.)
- Tiếng súng nghe nhặt thưa rồi tắt hẳn. (The gunfire was heard intermittently and then stopped completely.)
- Adverb:
- Mưa rơi nhặt thưa trên mái tôn. (The rain fell sporadically on the tin roof.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used to describe sounds (e.g., gunfire, applause, rain), physical distributions (e.g., trees, houses), or the pace of events/actions.
- Can imply a fading or dying pattern, moving from frequent to infrequent before stopping.
Variants and Related Words
- Thưa thớt (adj): sparse, thinly scattered. This describes a consistently sparse state, unlike the alternating quality of "nhặt thưa."
- Dân cư ở vùng này thưa thớt. (The population in this area is sparse.)
Synonyms
- Intermittent
- Sporadic
- Irregular
- Scattered (with varying density)
Related Idioms
- While "nhặt thưa" itself is descriptive, it is commonly used in phrases like "tiếng súng nhặt thưa" (sporadic gunfire) or "mưa rơi nhặt thưa" (sporadic rain), which have become idiomatic collocations.