thung
Definition
- Noun:
- Valley: A shortened, colloquial form of "thung lũng," referring to a low area of land between hills or mountains, often with a river running through it.
- Gully / Ravine: A deep, narrow gorge or channel, typically formed by running water.
- Overgrown garden or plot: An abandoned or wild garden area (archaic/regional usage).
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Đoàn người xuống thung tìm nguồn nước. (The group went down into the valley to find a water source.)
- Con suối nhỏ chảy qua một cái thung sâu. (A small stream flows through a deep ravine.)
- Nhà cũ có một mảnh thung đầy cỏ dại. (The old house had an overgrown plot full of weeds.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "thung" is most commonly used in its shortened form for "thung lũng" (valley). When used alone, it often implies a familiar, local, or smaller-scale depression in the terrain, and is frequent in poetic or regional language.
Variants and Related Words
Thung lũng (n): Valley. The standard and full term.
- thung lũng Sapa rất đẹp. (The Sapa valley is very beautiful.)
Thung sâu (n): Deep ravine or hollow.
- ngã xuống thung sâu (to fall into a deep ravine)
Synonyms
- Valley: A low area between hills.
- Gully: A water-worn ravine.
- Hollow: A depressed or low-lying area of land.
Related Idioms
- Xuống thung lên đèo: To go down into valleys and up over passes. This idiom describes arduous travel through mountainous terrain and, by extension, facing many difficulties.
- Cuộc đời anh ấy xuống thung lên đèo. (His life has been a series of ups and downs [lit. down valleys and up passes].)