Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Corpulent and heavy; portly: Describes a person, or specifically their belly, as being very fat, large, and heavy in appearance, often implying a round, protruding stomach that contributes to a ponderous or cumbersome physique.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Ông ấy trông thật phệ nệ. (He looks very corpulent and heavy.)
  • Bụng phệ nệ của anh ta khiến việc di chuyển khó khăn. (His portly belly makes movement difficult.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "phệ nệ" is often used specifically to describe a large, protruding belly (bụng) that is a central feature of someone's heavyset build. It carries a stronger connotation of weight and bulkiness than simply being fat.

Variants and Related Words

• Phệ (adj): Fat, plump, chubby. A simpler, more general term for being fat, often less heavy in connotation than "phệ nệ".
  • Đứa bé má phệ. (The child has chubby cheeks.)

Synonyms

• Corpulent: Having a large, bulky body.
• Portly: Stout or overweight, especially describing a man.
• Rotund: Rounded in figure, plump.
• Obese: Clinically very overweight.

Related Idioms

• While "phệ nệ" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is commonly used in the descriptive phrase "bụng phệ nệ" (a corpulent, heavy belly).

1. Corpulent
   • Bụng phệ nệ
     To be corpulent round the waist