quăm
Definition
- Verb:
- To curve inward / to become hooked: Describes an object, typically something thin and pointed like a blade, needle, or nail, bending or curling back on itself, forming a hook-like shape.
- To be bent / to be crooked: Indicates a state of being curved or not straight, often due to damage or force.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Lưỡi liềm bị quăm lại. (The sickle blade became hooked.)
- Mũi đinh quăm khi bị đóng vào gỗ cứng. (The nail tip bent when hammered into hard wood.)
- Cái móc này quăm quá, không dùng được. (This hook is too bent/crooked; it's unusable.)
Advanced Usage
- This word is often used in a passive or resultative state, frequently with "lại" (back) or "đi" (off) to emphasize the curling action or result.
- Dao quăm mũi lại. (The knife's point curled inward.)
Variants and Related Words
- Quặm (v): A common variant spelling with the same meaning.
- Cong (v, adj): To bend; bent. A more general term for bending, while "quăm" specifically implies a sharp, hooked curve.
- Móc (v, n): To hook; a hook. Describes the shape or action related to a hook.
Synonyms
- To curl: To form into a curved or spiral shape.
- To hook: To bend into the shape of a hook.
- To bend: To change shape and become curved.
Notes on Usage
- Register: "Quăm" is considered a regional or dialectal word (địa phương) and may not be universally common in all standard Vietnamese speech.
- Typical Context: It is most frequently applied to describe the damaged state of metal tools or thin, pointed objects that have lost their straight form.