Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Wide-meshed, loosely woven: Describes a net, fabric, or similar material with large gaps between its threads or components. This is the primary and most specific meaning.
   • Sparse, thin: Can describe things arranged with wide spaces between them, such as hair, trees, or a crowd.

2. Verb (dialectal, archaic):

   • To be sparse, to thin out: A regional or older form equivalent to the modern standard Vietnamese word "thưa," meaning to become less dense.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Ngư dân dùng lưới sưa để đánh bắt cá lớn. (Fishermen use a wide-meshed net to catch large fish.)
  • Mái tóc của ông cụ đã sưa dần. (The old man's hair has become thin.)
• Verb (dialectal):
  • Dân cư trong làng ngày càng sưa. (The village population is increasingly sparse.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "sưa" is considered specialized or dialectal in modern Vietnamese. In most contemporary contexts, "thưa" is the standard word for "sparse" or "thin."
• Its most concrete and enduring use is in the compound "lưới sưa" (wide-meshed net).

Variants and Related Words

• Lưới sưa (n): A wide-meshed net. This is the most common compound featuring the word.
  • Lưới sưa thích hợp để bắt tôm. (A wide-meshed net is suitable for catching shrimp.)

Synonyms

• Wide-meshed: Having large openings (for nets).
• Sparse: Thinly scattered or distributed.
• Loose: Not tightly woven.

Notes on Usage

• "Sưa" is not to be confused with the noun "sữa" (milk) or the verb "say sưa" (to be engrossed in).
• When describing nets, "sưa" is a technical term. For general descriptions of sparse density (e.g., sparse hair, sparse attendance), the word "thưa" is strongly preferred in modern standard Vietnamese.