thốn

Công việc thốn đến nơi rồi.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Urgent / Pressing: Describes a situation or task that requires immediate attention or action.
   • Sharp / Lancinating (of pain): Describes a sudden, acute, and piercing physical pain, often with a stabbing or shooting quality.

2. Noun (archaic):

   • A traditional unit of length: A historical Vietnamese measure equal to one-tenth of a "thước" (a traditional yard/rod), approximately 4 centimeters.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Urgent):
  • Công việc thốn đến nơi rồi. (The work is extremely urgent now.)
• Adjective (Pain):
  • Vết thương đau thốn. (The wound causes a sharp, lancinating pain.)
• Noun (Archaic):
  • Chiếc hộp dài ba thốn. (The box is three "thốn" long.)

Advanced Usage

• The adjectival use related to pain is often found in medical or descriptive contexts to characterize specific types of acute pain, such as from a deep wound or nerve pain.

Variants and Related Words

• Thốn thót (adj): describes a lingering, throbbing, or recurrent sharp pain.
  • Cái răng đau thốn thót. (The tooth aches with a throbbing, sharp pain.)

Synonyms

• Urgent: pressing, critical, immediate.
• Sharp pain: stabbing, shooting, piercing, lancinating.

Related Idioms

• While not a standalone idiom, the phrase "đau thốn" is a common collocation meaning "to feel a sharp, stabbing pain."
  • Bước trật chân, tôi đau thốn ở mắt cá. (I missed a step and felt a sharp pain in my ankle.)