sát nút
Definition
- Adjective/Adverbial Phrase:
- By a very narrow margin; extremely close: Describes a result, victory, or outcome where the difference between winning and losing, or passing and failing, is minimal. It emphasizes the thinness of the margin.
- Down to the wire; at the last possible moment: Can describe an event or action that is completed with almost no time to spare.
Usage Examples
- Adjective/Adverbial Phrase:
- Đội nhà thắng với tỉ số sát nút 2-1. (The home team won by a narrow margin of 2-1.)
- Anh ấy đỗ kỳ thi sát nút. (He passed the exam by the skin of his teeth.)
- Cô ấy đến sân bay sát nút giờ bay. (She arrived at the airport just in time for her flight.)
Advanced Usage
- Used to describe voting results, sports scores, competition outcomes, or time-sensitive situations where the difference is negligible.
- Often carries a connotation of tension, suspense, or relief due to the close call.
Variants and Related Words
- Sát: (adjective) close, near. intensifies this meaning to imply "extremely close."
- Vừa vặn: (adverb) exactly, fittingly. While can mean a perfect fit, specifically emphasizes a narrow, often tense, margin.
Synonyms
- By a hair's breadth: By an extremely small distance or amount.
- By the skin of one's teeth: Just barely; by a very narrow margin.
- Narrowly: By a small margin.
- At the last minute: At the latest possible time.
Related Idioms
- Thắng/sống/thua sát nút: To win/survive/lose by a whisker.
- Chiếc xe sống sát nút sau vụ tai nạn. (The car survived by a whisker after the accident.)
- Được thông qua sát nút: To be approved by a razor-thin margin.
- Dự luật được thông qua sát nút. (The bill was passed by a razor-thin margin.)