thiêm thiếp
Definition
- Adjective:
- Drowsy, half-asleep, on the verge of sleep: Describes a state of being very sleepy, almost asleep, or in a hazy, dreamy condition just before falling asleep.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Cô bé nằm thiêm thiếp trên ghế sofa. (The little girl lay drowsy on the sofa.)
- Sau một ngày dài, anh ấy ngồi thiêm thiếp. (After a long day, he sat in a half-asleep state.)
- Tôi thấy mình thiêm thiếp trong giờ học. (I found myself getting drowsy during class.)
Advanced Usage
- This word is often used in literary or descriptive contexts to paint a vivid picture of someone's state of near-sleep. It implies a passive, gentle, and almost involuntary descent into sleep.
Variants and Related Words
- Thiếp (v): An archaic or poetic verb meaning to fall asleep or doze off. "Thiêm thiếp" is a reduplicative form derived from this root, intensifying the state of drowsiness.
- Ngủ thiếp đi (v): to fall asleep (often suddenly or deeply).
- Cậu bé mệt quá nên ngủ thiếp đi trên ghế. (The boy was so tired he fell asleep on the chair.)
Synonyms
- Drowsy: ready to fall asleep.
- Somno lent: sleepy, drowsy.
- Half-asleep: not fully awake or asleep.
- Dreamy: in a state suggestive of dreams.
Related Idioms
- While "thiêm thiếp" itself is not typically part of a common idiom, it describes the state central to phrases like:
- Ngủ say thiêm thiếp: to be fast asleep and dead to the world.
- Đứa trẻ ngủ say thiêm thiếp sau chuyến đi chơi. (The child was fast asleep after the trip.)