Definition

Adjective: - Lonely, solitary: Describes a state of being alone, often quietly and without companionship, sometimes implying a sense of isolation or seclusion. - Secluded, keeping to oneself: Can describe a person who prefers to be alone or lives a quiet, isolated life.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Bà cụ sống thui thủi trong căn nhà nhỏ. (The old woman lives solitary in a small house.)
  • Sau khi con cái ra ở riêng, ông ấy cảm thấy rất thui thủi. (After his children moved out, he felt very lonely.)
  • Tính nó thích thui thủi một mình. (His nature prefers to be secluded/to keep to himself.)

Advanced Usage

• "sống thui thủi": to live a solitary/secluded life.
  • Ông lão sống thui thủi trong túp lều trên núi. (The old man lives a solitary life in a mountain hut.)
• "thui thủi một mình": to be all alone; to be by oneself in a quiet, isolated manner.
  • Cô ấy thui thủi một mình trong phòng suốt ngày. (She stays all by herself in her room all day.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thui thủi is primarily used as an adjective. There is no direct verb form. It is a reduplicative word, where "thủi" reinforces the meaning of "thui," both conveying solitude.
• Cô đơn (adj): lonely, lonesome. (A more general synonym, but often adds a nuance of quiet, physical seclusion).
• Lặng lẽ (adj): quiet, silent. (Describes quietness, which can be associated with the state of ).

Synonyms

• Một mình: alone, by oneself.
• Cô độc: solitary, isolated (can have a stronger, more desolate connotation).
• Ẩn dật: reclusive, hermit-like (implies a chosen withdrawal from society).

Related Phrases/Idioms

• Thui thủi như chiếc bóng: (to be) as solitary/lonely as a shadow. This is a common simile emphasizing extreme loneliness and quiet presence.
  • Ông ấy đi lại trong nhà thui thủi như chiếc bóng. (He moves around the house as solitary as a shadow.)
• Sống thui thủi như ốc: to live as secluded as a snail (in its shell). This idiom emphasizes living withdrawn from the world.
  • Bà ấy về quê sống thui thủi như ốc. (She returned to her hometown to live as secluded as a snail.)

adj

1. lonely, solitary