trân trân

Một đứa trẻ trân trân nhìn vào con bướm đậu trên bông hoa.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Fixedly; unblinkingly; with a vacant or glassy stare: Describes the action of staring without moving one's eyes, often due to deep thought, distraction, shock, or a lack of awareness. It implies a gaze that is rigid and unfocused.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Nó ngồi nhìn trân trân ra cửa sổ. (He sat staring fixedly out the window.)
  • Cô ấy trân trân nhìn màn hình mà không đọc gì. (She stared glassily at the screen without reading anything.)
  • Nghe tin đó, anh ta cứ trân trân ra một lúc lâu. (Upon hearing that news, he just stared vacantly for a long time.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is almost always used in a reduplicative form ("trân trân") and is typically followed by verbs like "nhìn" (to look), "ngó" (to glance), or "ra" (out), describing the manner of the stare.

Variants and Related Words

• Trân (adj): This is the root, rarely used alone in modern Vietnamese. The reduplicated form "trân trân" is standard for conveying the meaning of a fixed stare.

Synonyms

• Fixedly: in a steady, unmoving manner.
• Vacantly: showing no intelligence or expression.
• Glassy-eyed: with eyes that are dull and lifeless.

Related Idioms

• Nhìn trân trân: to stare fixedly. This is the most common collocation.
  • Đừng nhìn trân trân vào người ta như thế! (Don't stare at people like that!)