nát nhừ
Definition
- Adjective:
- Completely mushy / pulverized: Describes a substance, typically food, that has been cooked or processed to the point where it has lost all solid structure and has become a soft, formless mass.
- Utterly crushed / smashed to pieces: Can describe non-food items that have been broken down into very small fragments or a pulp.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Thịt kho phải ninh cho nát nhừ mới ngon. (Braised pork must be stewed until it's completely mushy to be delicious.)
- Quả cà chua bị rơi xuống đất, nát nhừ. (The tomato fell to the ground and was smashed to pulp.)
- Lá cây bị cơn bão làm nát nhừ. (The leaves were utterly crushed by the storm.)
Advanced Usage
- Used figuratively to describe a state of being emotionally or physically devastated.
- Sau tin đó, trái tim cô ấy nát nhừ. (After that news, her heart was utterly crushed.)
Variants and Related Words
- Nát (adj): Broken, smashed, or mushy (less intense than "nát nhừ").
- Bánh mì bị nát. (The bread is crushed/mushy.)
- Nhừ (adj): Often used with "nát" for emphasis, but can separately imply being thoroughly cooked until tender.
- Khoai tây hầm nhừ. (Potatoes stewed until tender.)
Synonyms
- Pulverized: reduced to fine particles.
- Mashed: crushed into a soft mass.
- Pappy: having a soft, mushy consistency.
Related Idioms
- Nát như tương: (Literally: mushy like fermented bean paste) An idiom emphasizing a state of being completely pulverized or utterly defeated.
- Chiếc xe sau va chạm nát như tương. (The car after the collision was completely smashed to bits.)