trôi nổi
Definition
Adjective:
- Drifting / Floating: The literal meaning describes something physically moving on the surface of water or air without a fixed course or anchor.
- Unsettled / Rootless: The primary figurative meaning describes a life, existence, or person that lacks stability, a fixed home, or a clear direction, moving from place to place or situation to situation.
Verb (to be in a state of):
- To drift / To float: To exist in a state of moving without control or a definite purpose, often subject to external forces or circumstances.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Chiếc bè trôi nổi trên sông. (The raft is floating on the river.)
- Anh ấy có một cuộc sống trôi nổi, không nhà cửa cố định. (He has a drifting life, with no fixed home.)
- Verb:
- Cô ấy cảm thấy mình chỉ đang trôi nổi vô định. (She feels she is just drifting aimlessly.)
Advanced Usage
- Used to describe abstract concepts like feelings, thoughts, or time passing without control or tangible result.
- Những ký ức trôi nổi lại trong tâm trí anh. (Drifting memories returned to his mind.)
- Năm tháng cứ trôi nổi qua đi. (The years just drifted by.)
Variants and Related Words
- Trôi (v): to drift, to flow, to pass (of time). Focuses more on the motion itself.
- Chiếc lá trôi trên mặt nước. (The leaf drifts on the water's surface.)
- Bập bềnh (adj/v): to bob up and down, to be adrift. Emphasizes an unsteady, fluctuating motion.
- Con thuyền bập bềnh trên sóng. (The boat bobs on the waves.)
Synonyms
- Drifting: moving without fixed course.
- Rootless: having no settled home or foundation.
- Unsettled: not fixed in a steady or stable state.
- Aimless: without purpose or direction.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Đời trôi nổi: A drifting/rootless life. A common phrase summarizing an unstable, wandering existence.
- Một kiếp đời trôi nổi. (A life of drifting.)
- Số phận trôi nổi: A drifting fate/destiny.
- Số phận trôi nổi của những người di cư. (The drifting fate of migrants.)