Definition

1. Onomatopoeia (Từ tượng thanh):
   • The sound of blowing or puffing: "phù phù" is a reduplicative word that mimics the sound of air being forcefully exhaled from the mouth, such as when blowing on something.
   • The sound of wind blowing: It can also represent the sound of a steady, gentle wind.

Usage Examples

• Onomatopoeia:
  • Anh ấy thổi nến sinh nhật phù phù. (He blew out the birthday candles with a puff puff.)
  • Gió thổi phù phù qua khe cửa. (The wind blew whoosh whoosh through the door crack.)
  • Cô bé thổi phù phù cho chén cháo nguội. (The little girl blew puff puff to cool down the bowl of porridge.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe repetitive or continuous blowing action: The reduplication "phù phù" emphasizes a repeated or sustained action of blowing, rather than a single puff.
  • Nó cứ ngồi thổi bong bóng xà phòng phù phù cả buổi. (He just sat there blowing soap bubbles puff puff all afternoon.)

Variants and Related Words

• Phù (onomatopoeia): The base form, indicating a single puff or blowing sound. "Phù phù" is the reduplicated, more descriptive form.
  • Anh thổi phù một cái là ngọn nến tắt. (He blew puff once and the candle went out.)

Synonyms

• Phù phào (onomatopoeia): Another reduplicative word, often describing a quick, light, or relieved puff of air.
• Xì xì (onomatopoeia): Mimics a hissing sound, sometimes used for a softer, more continuous stream of air.

Related Idioms/Phrases

(Note: "Phù phù" itself is not typically used in fixed idioms. It is primarily a descriptive sound effect.) - Thổi phù phù: This is the standard verb phrase meaning "to blow making a 'phù phù' sound." - Bé đang tập thổi phù phù vào cái kèn đồ chơi. (The baby is practicing blowing puff puff into the toy horn.)

1. xem phù (láy)