tê tái
Definition
- Adjective:
- Numb with pain or sorrow: Describes a physical or emotional state of being so deeply affected by pain, cold, or grief that one feels a penetrating numbness or sharp, aching distress.
- Wrenched / Heart-rending: Conveys a sense of profound emotional pain or pity that is deeply felt and distressing.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Nghe tin dữ, lòng cô ấy tê tái. (Hearing the bad news, her heart was wrenched with sorrow.)
- Đôi tay anh ấy tê tái vì giá rét. (His hands were numb with the bitter cold.)
- Câu chuyện thật tê tái. (The story is truly heart-rending.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used to describe a blended sensation of physical numbness and emotional anguish, particularly in literary or descriptive contexts.
- Can modify nouns related to the heart (), body parts (), or general feelings ().
Variants and Related Words
- Tê (adj): numb, tingling (primarily physical).
- Chân tôi bị tê. (My leg is numb.)
- Buốt giá (adj): piercingly cold (emphasizes the physical cold).
- Trời buốt giá. (The weather is piercingly cold.)
Synonyms
- Numb: deprived of feeling, especially from cold or shock.
- Heart-rending: causing overwhelming distress or sorrow.
- Wrenched: twisted with emotional pain.
Related Idioms
- Lòng tê tái: a transi heart; a heart gripped by piercing sorrow.
- Lòng tê tái khi tiễn biệt. (A heart wrenched with sorrow when saying goodbye.)
- Tê tái cõi lòng: a deeply literary phrase meaning "the innermost soul is numb with grief."