Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Slightly gritty or granular: Describes a texture that contains small, hard particles, like fine sand or grit, often perceived by touch or mouthfeel.
   • Figuratively, slightly rough or unrefined: Can describe speech, manner, or a situation that is somewhat coarse, blunt, or lacking smoothness.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Bột mì này sàn sạn, có lẽ chưa xay kỹ. (This flour is slightly gritty, perhaps it wasn't milled finely.)
  • Giọng nói của ông ấy nghe hơi sàn sạn. (His voice sounds slightly rough.)
  • Cảm giác sàn sạn dưới chân khi đi trên bãi cát ướt. (The slightly gritty feeling underfoot when walking on wet sand.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is a reduplicative form (láy) of "sạn" (grit, gravel). It softens the meaning, indicating a lesser degree, often translatable as "somewhat" or "slightly" gritty/rough.
• It is primarily used in descriptive contexts related to physical texture or metaphorical coarseness.

Variants and Related Words

• Sạn (n): grit, gravel, a small hard particle.
  • Cơm có sạn. (The rice has grit in it.)

Synonyms

• Gritty: Containing or resembling grit.
• Granular: Having a texture of small grains.
• Coarse: Rough or loose in texture.

Related Idioms

• : To speak in a somewhat blunt or coarse manner.
  • Ông ấy nói chuyện sàn sạn nhưng thẳng thắn. (He speaks somewhat bluntly but honestly.)

1. xem sạn (láy)