Definition

1. Verb:
   • To have a runny nose, to be snotty: Describes the state of mucus dripping or hanging from the nose, often in a visible, dangling strand.
   • To run (nose): Specifically refers to the action of nasal discharge flowing.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đứa trẻ bị cảm, mũi thò lò. (The child has a cold and a runny nose.)
  • Anh ấy hắt xì liên tục, mũi thò lò ra. (He kept sneezing, his nose was running.)

Advanced Usage

• "thò lò mũi xanh": A vivid, descriptive phrase meaning "to have green snot running from the nose," often used to depict a severe, untreated cold, especially in children.
  • Bé không chịu xì mũi, giờ thò lò mũi xanh rồi. (The child wouldn't blow his nose, now he has green snot running.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thò lò (noun, historical): An old gambling game played with a six-sided top (con quay). This is a distinct, homonymous word.
  • Đánh thò lò là một trò cờ bạc ngày xưa. (Playing 'thò lò' was a form of gambling in the past.)
• Sổ mũi (verb phrase): To have a runny nose (more common, standard term).
• Chảy nước mũi (verb phrase): To have a dripping nose (literal description).

Synonyms

• Sụt sịt: To sniffle (often implies trying to suck the mucus back in).
• Chảy nước mũi: To have a dripping nose.

Notes on Different Meanings

This word has two completely different meanings based on context: 1. (Primary for learners) The verb describing a runny nose, which is the most common usage in modern, everyday language. 2. The noun referring to an archaic gambling game. These are considered homonyms. The connection in some historical references (like the Vietnamese-French dictionary linking it to a spinning top "toton") is tied to the gambling meaning, not the runny nose meaning.

verb

1. to run, to be snotty