tập tễnh
Definition
- Verb:
- To hobble; to limp; to walk unsteadily: The primary meaning of "tập tễnh" is to walk with an uneven, labored gait, often due to pain, injury, or weakness in a leg or foot. It implies a noticeable lack of stability and balance while moving.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Ông cụ vừa mổ chân xong nên đi lại còn tập tễnh. (The old man just had leg surgery, so he still hobbles when he walks.)
- Bị trật mắt cá, cô ấy tập tễnh bước lên cầu thang. (With a sprained ankle, she limped up the stairs.)
- Đứa bé mới tập đi, bước chân còn tập tễnh. (The toddler is just learning to walk, so his steps are still unsteady.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "tập tễnh" often carries a connotation of vulnerability or recent recovery, describing movement that is not only impaired but also cautious and effortful.
- It can be used metaphorically in informal contexts to describe the shaky or faltering start of a process or activity, though this is less common.
Variants and Related Words
- Đi khập khiễng (v): to limp; to walk with a pronounced limp. This is a more direct synonym for limping.
- Lảo đảo (v): to stagger; to totter. This describes unsteadiness often due to dizziness or weakness, not specifically a leg injury.
- Tập đi (v): to learn to walk (typically for toddlers). "Tập tễnh" can describe the unsteady gait in this learning phase.
Synonyms
- To hobble: To walk in an awkward way, typically because of pain or injury.
- To limp: To walk with difficulty, typically favoring one leg.
- To totter: To move in a feeble or unsteady way.
Related Idioms
- While "tập tễnh" itself is not commonly part of a fixed idiom, it is frequently used in descriptive phrases about movement and health.
- Đi tập tễnh như gà què: To hobble like a lame chicken (a vivid simile emphasizing a very awkward, limping walk).