Definition

1. Verb:
   • To swell, to bulge, to expand: "phình" describes the action of something becoming larger in size, often in a rounded or distended manner, typically due to internal pressure, growth, or being filled.
   • To become bloated, to distend: It can specifically refer to a part of the body, like the stomach, becoming enlarged, often from being full.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Ăn no phình bụng. (To eat until one's belly swells.)
  • Bong bóng xà phòng phình to rồi vỡ. (The soap bubble swelled large and then burst.)
  • Cái túi nilon phình lên vì đựng đầy không khí. (The plastic bag bulged because it was full of air.)

Advanced Usage

• "phình ra": to swell out, to expand outward.
  • Vải bạt phình ra khi có gió thổi vào. (The canvas swelled out when the wind blew into it.)
• "phình to": to swell up, to become greatly enlarged.
  • Vết thương bắt đầu phình to và đỏ ửng. (The wound began to swell up and turn red.)

Variants and Related Words

• Phình phịu (adj): Pouty, sulky (describing a facial expression where the cheeks are puffed out, often in displeasure).
  • Đứa trẻ ngồi phình phịu vì không được mua đồ chơi. (The child sat pouting because he wasn't bought a toy.)
• Phình đại (v): To hypertrophy, to enlarge abnormally (often used in medical or technical contexts).
  • Tuyến giáp có thể bị phình đại. (The thyroid gland can become hypertrophied.)
• Phồng (v): To inflate, to puff up. A close synonym, but "phồng" often implies being filled with air/gas, while "phình" focuses more on the outward bulging shape.
  • Lốp xe bị phồng lên. (The tire inflated.)

Synonyms

• Sưng (v): To swell (often due to injury or inflammation).
• Trương (v): To swell, to distend (often due to fluid).
• Phồng (v): To inflate, to puff up.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Làm phình (to cause to swell): To make something swell or bulge.
  • Nước làm hạt đậu khô bị làm phình ra. (Water causes the dried bean to swell.)

Related Idioms

• Phình bụng: (Literally: swollen belly) Often used to describe being very full from eating.
  • Bữa tiệc ngon đến nỗi ai cũng phình bụng. (The feast was so delicious that everyone's belly swelled.)
• Phình mặt: (Literally: swollen face) Can be used literally or figuratively to describe a puffed-up, angry, or arrogant expression.
  • Nghe tin đó, anh ta phình mặt tức giận. (Hearing that news, his face swelled with anger.)

1. Swell
   • Ăn no phình bụng
     To eat until one's belly swells with food