Definition

1. Adjective (dialectal):
   • Sparse, thinly scattered, or few and far between: Describes things that are distributed with wide gaps or at low density. This is a dialectal variant, often used in the reduplicated form "rời rợi" to intensify the meaning.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cây cối mọc rợi trên sườn đồi. (Vegetation grows sparsely on the hillside.)
  • Dân cư sống rợi trong vùng núi này. (The population lives thinly scattered in this mountainous region.)

Advanced Usage

• "rời rợi": A reduplicated form (láy) that intensifies the meaning, conveying a stronger sense of sparseness, scarcity, or being disconnected.
  • Những ngôi nhà nằm rời rợi ven đường. (The houses lie scattered sparsely along the road.)
  • Ánh đèn rời rợi trong đêm. (Lights are few and far between in the night.)

Variants and Related Words

• Rượi (dialectal): A direct dialectal synonym for "rợi," also meaning sparse or scattered.
• Rười rượi: Another common reduplicated form with the same root, emphasizing a state of being very sparse or thinly spread.

Synonyms

• Sparse: Existing only in small amounts or scattered widely.
• Thinly scattered: Distributed with large gaps between items.
• Scant: Barely sufficient or in small supply.

Notes on Usage

• The word "rợi" is primarily used in certain Vietnamese dialects. In standard usage, it is most commonly encountered in its reduplicated forms "rời rợi" or "rười rượi," which are more frequent and express a heightened degree of the base meaning.
• It functions as an adjective to describe the distribution or density of objects, people, light, etc.

1. (địa phương) như rượi
   • Rời rợi (láy, ý tăng)