Definition

1. Verb:

   • To absorb: For a porous or dry material to take in and retain a liquid. This is the most common physical meaning.
   • To soak in / To penetrate: For a liquid to gradually seep into something.
   • To feel / To be affected by: To begin to perceive or be deeply affected by a feeling, sensation, or idea after some time or experience.

2. Adjective (derived usage):

   • Permeable: Describing a material that allows liquids to pass through or be absorbed.

Usage Examples

• Verb (to absorb/soak in):
  • Giấy thấm mực rất nhanh. (The paper absorbs ink very quickly.)
  • Mưa làm ướt áo khoác ngoài, nhưng chưa thấm vào trong. (The rain wet the outer jacket, but hasn't soaked through to the inside.)
• Verb (to feel/be affected):
  • Làm việc cả ngày, giờ tôi mới thấm mệt. (Having worked all day, I'm only now feeling the tiredness.)
  • Phải đọc đi đọc lại nhiều lần kiến thức mới thấm. (You have to read it over and over many times for the knowledge to sink in.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to express that something is insufficient or negligible.
  • Một ly cà phê nhỏ thấm vào đâu so với công việc cả đêm. (One small coffee is nowhere near enough for a whole night's work.)
• Used in the structure "thấm gì" to mean "to be nothing" or "not a big deal."
  • Khó khăn đó thấm gì so với trước đây. (That difficulty is nothing compared to before.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thấm đẫm (v): To be soaked, drenched, or saturated (often with emotion).
  • Chiếc khăn thấm đẫm nước. (The towel is soaked with water.)
  • Câu chuyện thấm đẫm tình người. (The story is saturated with human kindness.)
• Thấm nhuần (v): To be deeply imbued with or instilled (used for ideas, ethics, teachings).
  • Thấm nhuần tư tưởng đạo đức. (To be deeply imbued with ethical thought.)
• Thấm thía (v/adj): To feel or understand something profoundly and poignantly.
  • Anh ấy thấm thía bài học đắt giá. (He profoundly understood the costly lesson.)

Synonyms

• Absorb: To take in (a liquid).
• Soak: To become thoroughly wet.
• Permeate: To spread throughout.
• Sink in: To become fully understood or felt.

Related Idioms

• Thấm thoắt: An idiom indicating that time has passed swiftly and unnoticed.
  • Thấm thoắt đã mười năm. (Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.)
• Mưa dầm thấm lâu: Literally "persistent rain soaks deep," meaning that patience and persistence lead to deep, lasting results.
  • Cứ kiên nhẫn giải thích, mưa dầm thấm lâu mà. (Just be patient and explain; persistent effort yields deep understanding.)

verb

1. to absorb, to suck to grasp, to sink in to feel, be penetrated with