tòn tèn
Definition
- Verb:
- To dangle: To hang or swing loosely, often from a point of attachment.
- To hang loosely: To be suspended in a way that is not tight or secure, allowing for movement.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Sợi dây chuyền tòn tèn trên cổ cô bé. (The necklace dangled on the little girl's neck.)
- Chiếc lá khô tòn tèn trên cành cây. (The dry leaf hung loosely from the tree branch.)
- Đứa trẻ thích ngồi xem chiếc đồng hồ tòn tèn trước ngực ông. (The child liked to sit and watch the clock dangling on his grandfather's chest.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "tòn tèn" often carries a descriptive, slightly onomatopoeic quality, suggesting a light, swinging, or swaying motion. It is typically used for small or light objects.
Variants and Related Words
- Đung đưa (v): to swing, to sway (often with a more regular, rhythmic motion than "tòn tèn").
- Lòng thòng (v): to hang down loosely, often in a sloppy or untidy way (implies length and lack of tautness).
Synonyms
- Dangle: To hang loosely and swing to and fro.
- Swing: To move back and forth while suspended.
- Droop: To hang or bend downward.
Related Idioms
- While "tòn tèn" itself is not commonly found in fixed idioms, it is used in vivid descriptive phrases to depict something hanging lightly.
- Cặp kính tòn tèn trên sống mũi. (The glasses dangled on the bridge of the nose.)
verb
-
to dangle, to hang loosely
