rét cóng
Definition
- Adjective:
- Freezing cold, numb with cold: Describes the state of being extremely cold to the point of feeling stiff or numb, often used for body parts or a person's overall sensation due to severe cold weather.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Trời mùa đông ở đây lạnh đến mức tôi cảm thấy rét cóng. (The winter here is so cold that I feel freezing cold.)
- Sau khi chờ xe buýt ngoài trời tuyết, đôi tay cô ấy đã rét cóng. (After waiting for the bus in the snowy weather, her hands were numb with cold.)
Advanced Usage
"rét cóng người": to be freezing cold (of one's whole body).
- Gió bấc thổi khiến tôi rét cóng người. (The north wind made me freezing cold all over.)
"rét cóng tay chân": to have freezing cold hands and feet.
- Làm việc ngoài trời cả buổi sáng, anh ấy bị rét cóng tay chân. (Working outdoors all morning, he got freezing cold hands and feet.)
Variants and Related Words
Cóng (adj): A shortened, colloquial form meaning numb or stiff from cold. It is often used similarly but can sound more informal.
- Tay tôi cóng hết rồi! (My hands are completely numb from the cold!)
Rét buốt (adj): Piercing cold, bitter cold. This emphasizes the penetrating, sharp sensation of cold rather than the resulting numbness.
- Có cóng (adj, reduplicative form): An intensified, colloquial form meaning very numb with cold.
Synonyms
- Lạnh cóng: Synonymous, also meaning freezing cold or numb with cold.
- Lạnh buốt: Bitterly cold, piercing cold.
- Tê cóng: Numb with cold (often emphasizing the loss of sensation).
Related Phrases
- Chết cóng: To freeze to death.
- Người leo núi suýt chết cóng trong cơn bão tuyết. (The mountaineer almost froze to death in the blizzard.)
Related Idioms
- Rét cắt da cắt thịt: (Idiom) Cold so severe it feels like it's cutting the skin and flesh; describes an intensely piercing cold.
- Trời đông Bắc Bộ với cơn gió mùa đông bắc, thực sự là rét cắt da cắt thịt. (The winter in Northern Vietnam with the northeast monsoon is truly a bone-chilling cold.)
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Freezing cold
