Definition

Onomatopoeia / Adverb: - Describes a repeated, sputtering, or spitting sound and action, often associated with something being forcefully expelled in short, intermittent bursts, such as from an engine, a flame, or a person's mouth.

Usage Examples

• Onomatopoeia / Adverb:
  • Ngọn lửa cháy phùn phụt. (The flame burned with a sputtering sound.)
  • Động cơ cũ kêu phùn phụt rồi tắt hẳn. (The old engine sputtered and then died completely.)
  • Đứa bé phì cười phùn phụt. (The child giggled with sputtering sounds.)

Advanced Usage

• This word is a láy (reduplicative) form, derived from the base word "phụt" (to spurt, to spout). The "phùn-" prefix intensifies the repetitive and irregular nature of the action.
• It is primarily used as an adverbial modifier following a verb to depict both the sound and the manner of an action.

Variants and Related Words

• Phụt (v): to spurt, to gush out suddenly in a single burst.
  • Máu phụt ra từ vết thương. (Blood spurted from the wound.)

Synonyms

• Sputter: to make a series of soft, explosive sounds.
• Splutter: to make a similar spitting sound, often when speaking excitedly or when something is malfunctioning.

Related Idioms

• While "phùn phụt" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it vividly describes the action within common situations, such as a faulty engine running (chạy phùn phụt) or a damp fire burning (cháy phùn phụt).

1. xem phụt (láy)