Definition

1. Adverb:
   • Painstakingly, meticulously, carefully: Describes performing an action, especially writing or drawing, with great care, attention to detail, and effort to make it neat and correct.

Usage

• "Nắn nót" is used to modify verbs, most commonly viết (to write) and vẽ (to draw). It emphasizes the careful, deliberate, and often slow process of forming each stroke or detail perfectly.
• It describes the in which an action is done. It is not used for the result itself (e.g., "chữ đẹp" - beautiful handwriting), but for the careful process undertaken to achieve that result.
• Typical structure: Verb + một cách + nắn nót OR nắn nót + verb.

Usage Examples

• As an adverb:
  • Cô bé nắn nót viết từng chữ cái đầu tiên. (The little girl painstakingly wrote each first letter.)
  • Anh ấy nắn nót ký tên vào hợp đồng quan trọng. (He meticulously signed his name on the important contract.)
  • Học sinh vẽ nắn nót bức tranh theo mẫu. (The student drew the picture according to the model very carefully.)
  • Chị ấy viết thư một cách nắn nót. (She wrote the letter in a very careful manner.)

Advanced Usage

• "Nắn nót từng câu, từng chữ": To meticulously craft every sentence, every word. This phrase is often used in the context of writing or speaking with extreme care.
  • Nhà văn nắn nót từng câu, từng chữ cho tác phẩm mới. (The writer meticulously crafted every sentence, every word for his new work.)
• It can be applied metaphorically to other actions requiring delicate care, though writing/drawing are most common.
  • Người thợ nắn nót từng đường kim mũi chỉ. (The tailor worked painstakingly on every stitch.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nắn (verb): To shape, to mold, to straighten by hand (e.g., nắn tượng đất sét - to shape a clay statue). This is the root verb implying careful manual adjustment.
• Cẩn thận (adj/adv): Careful, carefully. A more general synonym.
• Kỹ lưỡng (adj/adv): Thorough, meticulous. Often used for preparation or examination.
• Tỉ mỉ (adj/adv): Meticulous, detailed. Emphasizes attention to fine details.

Synonyms

• Cẩn thận: Carefully.
• Tỉ mỉ: Meticulously.
• Kỹ lưỡng: Thoroughly.
• Chau chuốt: (Often for language/style) To polish, to refine.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• Viết chữ như nắn nót: To write as if one is shaping each letter carefully. This is a descriptive phrase, not a fixed idiom, highlighting the action implied by "nắn nót."
• There are no direct phrasal verbs or very common idioms specifically with "nắn nót"; its meaning is primarily conveyed through its adverbial use with specific verbs.

1. Write painstakingly
   • Nắn nót viết tên mình vào bìa sách
     To write painstakingly one's name on a book cover