tuốt tuộc
Definition
Adjective:
- Completely, entirely, the whole lot: Used to emphasize that something includes every single part or item, leaving nothing out. It conveys a sense of totality and thoroughness, often with a colloquial tone.
Adverb:
- Wholly, utterly: Functions as an intensifier to modify a verb, indicating an action is done in a complete or exhaustive manner.
Usage Examples
- Adjective/Adverb:
- Nó ăn tuốt tuộc một mình. (He ate the whole lot by himself.)
- Tôi kể tuốt tuộc câu chuyện cho cô ấy nghe. (I told her the entire story.)
- Bọn trẻ lấy tuốt tuộc kẹo trên bàn. (The kids took all the candy on the table, every last piece.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "tuốt tuộc" is a reduplicated form of "tuốt", which itself means "all" or "entirely". The reduplication intensifies the meaning, adding emphasis and a more informal, sometimes rustic, flavor. It is often used in spoken Vietnamese.
Variants and Related Words
Tuốt (adj/adv): All, entirely, the whole thing.
- Nó ăn tuốt cái bánh. (He ate the whole cake.)
Tuồn tuột (adj/adv): Another reduplicated form with a very similar meaning of "all, completely", often implying a smooth or continuous taking away of everything.
- Tiền tiêu tuồn tuột. (The money was all spent, every bit of it.)
Synonyms
- Tất cả: All, everything.
- Toàn bộ: The whole, the entirety.
- Hết sạch: All gone, completely used up.
- Hoàn toàn: Completely, wholly.
Related Idioms
Ăn tuốt tuộc: To eat everything, to devour the entire amount.
- Thằng bé đói đến nỗi ăn tuốt tuộc mâm cơm. (The boy was so hungry he devoured the entire tray of food.)
Lấy tuốt tuộc: To take everything, to clean out.
- Kẻ trộm lấy tuốt tuộc đồ trang sức. (The thief took all the jewelry, every last piece.)