Definitions

1. Adjective:

   • Young, tender, newly grown: Describes something in its early stages of growth, often implying youth, tenderness, or immaturity.
   • Premature, not fully developed or ripe: Indicates something that occurs before the expected or natural time, or is not yet fully mature.
   • Inadequate, not up to standard: Describes something that is deficient, lacking in required quality, skill, or strength.

2. Noun (Literary/Archaic):

   • Mountain: Used in classical or poetic contexts to mean "mountain".

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Cỏ non (tender grass)
  • Đứa bé đẻ non (a premature baby)
  • Lập luận của anh ấy còn non. (His argument is still weak/immature.)
  • Bánh mì nướng non một chút. (Toast the bread a little less / to a lighter color.)

• Noun:

  • Non xanh nước biếc (green mountains and blue water) - A poetic idiom describing beautiful, pristine nature.

Advanced Usage

• 'non' as a prefix-like element: It can combine with other words to form compounds, primarily carrying the adjectival meanings of "young", "new", or "premature".
  • mầm non (tender bud; often refers to kindergarten level in education)
  • da non (new skin, e.g., after a wound heals)
  • trăng non (new moon)

Variants and Related Words

• Non nớt (adj): Very young and inexperienced; callow.
  • Cậu ấy còn non nớt trong chuyện tình cảm. (He is still inexperienced in matters of love.)
• Non trẻ (adj): Young (in age); youthful.
  • Một tài năng non trẻ (a young talent)

Synonyms

• Trẻ: Young (in age).
• Xanh: Green; young (poetic).
• Sớm: Early; premature.
• Yếu: Weak; inadequate.

Notes on Meaning

• The core concept of 'non' revolves around lack of fullness or completion, whether in age (young), development (immature, premature), or quality (substandard).
• The nominal meaning ("mountain") is largely confined to fixed literary or idiomatic expressions like or (mountains and rivers, symbolizing the country).
• When describing objects or abstract concepts (e.g., a knife, an argument, a color), it implies they are "not fully" what they should be: not sharp enough, not strong enough, not dark enough.

1. Mountain
   • Non xanh nước biếc
     Green mountains and blue water
2. Young, tender, green
   • Mầm non
     Tender buds
3. Premature
   • Đứa bé đẻ non
     =A premature baby
   • Chết non
     To die premature
4. Not up to the mark
5. New
   • Da non
     -New skin
   • Trăng non
     A new moon
6. Mild