tóc sâu
Definition
- Noun:
- Premature white hair: A single strand or a few sporadic strands of white hair growing on the head of a young or middle-aged person, contrasting with their predominantly dark hair. It is considered a sign of early aging or stress.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Mới hai mươi tuổi mà cô ấy đã có vài sợi tóc sâu. (She is only twenty years old but already has a few premature white hairs.)
- Áp lực công việc khiến anh ấy mọc tóc sâu. (Work pressure caused him to grow premature white hair.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "tóc sâu" is often used interchangeably with the synonym "tóc ngứa". Both terms carry a folk belief or colloquial implication that the appearance of such hairs is associated with an "itchy" feeling or a subconscious urge to scratch one's head due to worry or stress, which supposedly causes the hair to turn white.
Variants and Related Words
Tóc ngứa (n): A direct synonym for "tóc sâu", literally meaning "itchy hair", emphasizing the folk belief.
- Bà ngoại bảo tóc ngứa là do suy nghĩ nhiều. (My grandmother said itchy hair is caused by thinking too much.)
Tóc bạc (n): The general term for white or grey hair, without the specific connotation of premature growth.
- Tóc bạc là dấu hiệu tự nhiên của tuổi già. (White hair is a natural sign of old age.)
Synonyms
- Premature grey hair: Hair that turns grey or white earlier than is typical for a person's age.
- White hair strand: A single white hair.
Related Idioms and Expressions
- While there is no direct idiom using "tóc sâu", its presence is commonly cited in proverbial sayings about stress and aging, such as the concept that "lo một sợi tóc sâu" (to worry [until getting] a premature white hair).