Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Shy, bashful, or embarrassed: Feeling or showing a sense of self-consciousness, shame, or awkwardness, often causing one to be hesitant or reluctant.
   • Slow-burning, hard to ignite: Describing material, like damp wood, that does not catch fire easily or burns with difficulty.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Bashful):
  • Cô bé trẽn mặt khi được khen. (The little girl became bashful when praised.)
• Adjective (Slow-burning):
  • Củi ướt nên rất trẽn. (The wet firewood is very slow-burning.)

Advanced Usage

• The sense of "shy" or "embarrassed" is often associated with a physical reaction, particularly in the face (e.g., ).
• The sense of "slow-burning" is primarily used in specific, practical contexts like describing fuel or kindling.

Variants and Related Words

• Trẽn mặt (adj phrase): To have a flushed or embarrassed face, to be visibly ashamed.
  • Nghe thấy vậy, nó trẽn mặt không nói gì. (Hearing that, he was too ashamed to say anything.)

Synonyms

• Bashful: shy and easily embarrassed.
• Embarrassed: feeling self-conscious and awkward.
• Slow-burning: not readily catching fire.

Notes on Usage

• trẽn is considered a regional or dialectal word in modern Vietnamese and is not commonly used in formal, everyday speech. Its usage is more typical in specific regional dialects or in older, literary contexts.
• When meaning "confused" or "ashamed," it is close in meaning to , , or , but carries a more rustic or localized nuance.
• When meaning "hard to burn," it is a descriptive term for the physical property of an object.