rách mướp
Definition
- Adjective:
- Torn to shreds, ragged: Describes an object, typically fabric or clothing, that is severely torn, tattered, and in a state of complete disrepair.
- Utterly worn out, completely ruined: Can be used metaphorically to describe a state of being extremely tired, exhausted, or something that is completely broken down.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Cái áo này đã rách mướp rồi, không thể mặc được nữa. (This shirt is torn to shreds; it can't be worn anymore.)
- Sau chuyến leo núi, đôi giày của anh ấy trông rách mướp. (After the hiking trip, his shoes looked ragged.)
- Tôi cảm thấy rách mướp sau một tuần làm việc căng thẳng. (I feel completely worn out after a stressful week of work.)
Advanced Usage
- Used for emphasis: The word "mướp" intensifies "rách," creating a vivid image of something not just torn, but utterly shredded.
- Lá cờ bay trong bão trông rách mướp. (The flag flying in the storm looked utterly tattered.)
- Metaphorical use for non-physical states:
- Kế hoạch của họ đã rách mướp ngay từ đầu. (Their plan was completely ruined from the very beginning.)
Variants and Related Words
- Rách tả tơi (adj): Torn to pieces, tattered. (Similar meaning, slightly more literary.)
- Rách bươm (adj): Very torn, frayed. (A common synonym.)
- Tả tơi (adj): In tatters, utterly destroyed. (Can be used similarly in metaphorical contexts.)
Synonyms
- Tattered: Old and torn; in poor condition.
- Shredded: Torn or cut into shreds.
- Frayed: Worn and unraveled at the edge.
- Threadbare: (Of fabric) thin and worn.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Nát như tương: (Lit: Crushed like fermented soybean paste) - Meaning completely smashed or ruined. This shares the metaphorical sense of being utterly destroyed.
- Rách việc: (Lit: Torn work) - A slang phrase meaning to have failed completely or to be in a messed-up situation. While related in spirit, it uses "rách" differently.
-
Torn to shreds, ragged
