Definition

1. Verb:
   • To float, to hover, to flutter: Describes a gentle, wavering, or undulating movement, often close to a surface, like something light being carried by water or air. It implies a soft, rhythmic, and sometimes uncertain motion.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Những chiếc lá khô rập rờn trên mặt nước. (The dry leaves floated/fluttered on the water's surface.)
  • Ánh nến rập rờn trong gió. (The candlelight flickered/fluttered in the wind.)
  • Bóng cây rập rờn dưới ánh trăng. (The tree shadows wavered/danced under the moonlight.)

Advanced Usage

• "rập rờn" to describe a hesitant or uncertain state: While primarily describing physical movement, it can be used metaphorically to describe something unsteady or fluctuating.
  • Ý nghĩ ấy cứ rập rờn trong đầu cô. (That thought kept hovering/lingering uncertainly in her mind.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dập dờn (verb): This is a very close synonym and variant spelling of "rập rờn," with the same meaning of undulating or floating movement. The usage is identical.
  • Con thuyền dập dờn trên sóng. (The boat bobbed/floated on the waves.)

Synonyms

• Lơ lửng: To hover, to hang in the air (often more stationary than "rập rờn").
• Bập bềnh: To bob up and down, to float (specifically on water, often with a more pronounced up-down motion).
• Chập chờn: To flicker, to be unsteady (often for light or sleep, implying intermittence).

Notes on Meaning

• Primary Meaning: The core meaning is a light, wavering, floating motion. It is often used for visual and poetic descriptions of natural phenomena.
• Regional/Literary Use: This word is common in literary and descriptive Vietnamese. The variant "dập dờn" is equally standard. The reference to it being "địa phương" (regional) in one source is not reflective of its widespread modern usage in literature and general description.

verb

1. to float