nu na

Hai đứa trẻ ngồi chơi trò nu na trên sân nhà.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A traditional children's game: A Vietnamese folk game, often played by a group sitting with legs extended. Players chant a specific rhyming verse (e.g., "Nu na nu nống, cái cống nằm trong...") while touching or counting legs in rhythm to select or eliminate players.

2. Adjective (colloquial):

   • Leisurely, idle, doing nothing in particular: Describes a state of relaxed idleness, spending time slowly and without specific purpose or urgency.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Lũ trẻ trong xóm đang chơi trò nu na. (The neighborhood children are playing the nu na game.)
  • "Nu na nu nống" là câu đồng dao quen thuộc. ("Nu na nu nống" is a familiar folk rhyme.)

• Adjective:

  • Chủ nhật, tôi chỉ thích nu na ở nhà. (On Sundays, I just like to lounge idly at home.)
  • Anh ấy ngồi nu na ngoài hiên suốt buổi chiều. (He sat idly on the porch all afternoon.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase "nu na nu nống" is the full and more common name of the children's game. It is primarily used as a noun.
  • Trẻ em ngày xưa hay chơi nu na nu nống. (Children in the old days often played nu na nu nống.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nu na nu nống (n): The full name of the traditional game.
• Chơi nu na (v): To play the game.

Synonyms

• Noun (game): children's folk game, counting-out game.
• Adjective (state): leisurely, idle, lounging, loafing, relaxed.

Related Idioms

• While not a standalone idiom, the rhythmic chant "Nu na nu nống, cái cống nằm trong, con ong nằm ngoài, củ khoai chấm mật..." is a culturally fixed verse used to play the game.