tầy

Công lao của cha mẹ cao tầy núi.

Definition

1. Adjective (Regional/Dialectal):
   • Equivalent to; as much as; comparable to: Used primarily in comparisons to indicate similarity in degree, extent, or size. It functions similarly to "như" (like/as) but with an emphatic or amplifying force, often found in the fixed form "như tày".
   • Of considerable size or extent (archaic/poetic): Can imply something large, vast, or formidable.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Nó khỏe tầy trâu. (He is as strong as an ox.)
  • Tội ác tầy trời. (A crime as immense as the sky./A monstrous crime.)
  • Chiếc bánh to tầy cái mâm. (The cake is as big as a tray.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "tầy" is almost never used alone in modern standard Vietnamese. Its primary and essential usage is in the comparative structure "như tày" or simply "tày" followed by the noun of comparison.
• It carries a rhetorical, emphatic, or hyperbolic tone, often found in proverbs, idioms, and expressive speech rather than in neutral, factual descriptions.

Variants and Related Words

• Tày (adj): The more common standardized spelling of the same word. "Tầy" is considered a dialectal variant.
  • Tham vọng tày đình. (An ambition as vast as a palace.)
• Tày trời (adj phrase): An idiom meaning "immense," "monstrous," or "sky-high."
  • Một sai lầm tày trời. (A colossal mistake.)

Synonyms

• Như: like, as.
• Bằng: equal to.
• Cỡ: size of, as big as.

Related Idioms

• Tày đình: Immensely large or serious (literally: as large as a royal palace).
  • Một bữa tiệc tày đình. (A lavish, enormous feast.)
• Tày trời: As vast as the sky; used to emphasize great degree, often negatively.
  • Lòng tham tày trời. (Boundless greed.)
• Tày hòm: (Literally: as big as a chest) Very significant or substantial.
  • Một khoản tiền tày hòm. (A hefty sum of money.)