Definition

1. Adverb (Literary):
   • Sparsely, one by one, intermittently: Describes movement or occurrence in a scattered, isolated, or sporadic manner, often with a poetic connotation of gradual or single-file progression.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:
  • Chim hôm thoi thót về rừng. (The evening birds return to the forest one by one.)
  • Mưa rơi thoi thót trên mái hiên. (The rain falls sporadically on the porch roof.)

Advanced Usage

• This word is primarily used in literary, poetic, or classical contexts to evoke a gentle, sparse, and sometimes melancholic rhythm. It is not common in everyday modern speech.

Variants and Related Words

• Thưa thớt (adj): sparse, thinly scattered.

  • Ngôi sao thưa thớt trên bầu trời. (Stars are sparse in the sky.)

• Lác đác (adv): sporadically, here and there.

  • Khách đến lác đác. (Guests arrived sporadically.)

Synonyms

• Sparsely: in a scattered or infrequent manner.
• Intermittently: at irregular intervals.
• One by one: singly and in succession.

Related Idioms

• While "thoi thót" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, its usage is idiomatic to classical Vietnamese poetry, often describing the movement of birds at dusk or similar imagery.