trơi
Definition
- Adjective:
- Ashamed / Embarrassed: A regional (dialectal) term describing the state of feeling shame, embarrassment, or disgrace. This usage is not standard in mainstream modern Vietnamese.
Usage Notes
- The word 'trơi' is very rarely used as an independent word in contemporary standard Vietnamese. Its primary modern recognition is as part of the compound noun 'ma trơi'.
- When used alone to mean "ashamed," it is considered a regional or dialectal term.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (dialectal):
- Nó làm điều xấu nên cảm thấy rất trơi. (He did a bad thing so he felt very ashamed.)
Advanced Usage
- 'ma trơi' (n): will-o'-the-wisp, ignis fatuus. Refers to the phosphorescent light sometimes seen over marshes at night, often attributed in folklore to ghosts or spirits.
- Trong đêm, những ánh ma trơi lập lòe ở đầu bãi. (At night, will-o'-the-wisps flickered at the edge of the marsh.)
Variants and Related Words
- Hổ thẹn (adj): ashamed, embarrassed (standard synonym).
- Xấu hổ (adj): ashamed, shy (common standard term).
- Ngại (adj): hesitant, shy, embarrassed.
Synonyms
- Ashamed: feeling shame or embarrassment.
- Embarrassed: feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable.
Important Clarification
The dictionary reference "trơixem ma trơi" indicates that to understand 'trơi', one should look at the entry for 'ma trơi'. Therefore, the independent adjectival meaning of "ashamed" is secondary and dialect-specific. The primary association for a learner will be the compound 'ma trơi'.