Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Sweet-smelling; fragrant; pleasant-smelling: Describes something that emits a generally pleasant and agreeable aroma. It often implies a clean, fresh, or delicate scent.
   • Having a good reputation; honorable: Used figuratively to describe a person's name, reputation, or deeds that are respected and well-regarded.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (literal scent):
  • Căn phòng thơm tho mùi hoa. (The room is sweet-smelling with the scent of flowers.)
  • Sau khi tắm, cơ thể thơm tho. (After bathing, the body smells fresh and clean.)
• Adjective (figurative reputation):
  • Ông ấy có danh tiếng thơm tho trong làng. (He has an honorable reputation in the village.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is often used in a general, positive sense for scent, sometimes without specifying a particular type of fragrance. It can describe anything from food and flowers to clean clothes or a freshly cleaned space.
• In its figurative sense, it is almost exclusively used in fixed phrases like "danh tiếng thơm tho" (honorable reputation) or "tiếng thơm" (good name).

Variants and Related Words

• Thơm (adj): fragrant, sweet-smelling; often used for specific smells like food (e.g., - fragrant rice). "Thơm tho" is a more general and sometimes more emphatic form.
• Hương thơm (n): fragrance, aroma.
• Danh thơm (n): good name, good reputation.

Synonyms

• Fragrant: having a pleasant scent.
• Sweet-smelling: having a sweet fragrance.
• Honorable: deserving respect (for reputation).

Related Idioms

• Danh tiếng thơm tho: A good and honorable reputation.
  • Cả đời ông ấy giữ danh tiếng thơm tho. (He maintained an honorable reputation his whole life.)
• Thơm tho sạch sẽ: Clean and fresh-smelling; often used together to describe impeccable hygiene or cleanliness.
  • Nhà cửa lúc nào cũng thơm tho sạch sẽ. (The house is always clean and fresh-smelling.)

adj

1. sweet-smelling