tối đèn
Definition
Noun Phrase:
- Nightfall / Dusk: The time of day when it becomes dark enough to require turning on lamps or lights. It describes the period at the end of twilight when natural light is fading.
- Dim light / Poor lighting: A state or condition where the light is insufficient, making it difficult to see clearly.
Adjective Phrase:
- Poorly lit / Dimly lit: Used to describe a place that has very little light, creating a dark or shadowy environment.
Usage Examples
Noun Phrase:
- Chúng tôi về nhà lúc tối đèn. (We returned home at nightfall.)
- Căn phòng rơi vào cảnh tối đèn. (The room fell into dim light.)
Adjective Phrase:
- Con đường này rất tối đèn về đêm. (This road is very poorly lit at night.)
- Không nên đọc sách trong phòng tối đèn. (You shouldn't read books in a dimly lit room.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often carries a connotation of vulnerability, obscurity, or the potential for confusion due to the lack of light.
- Mọi thứ trở nên hỗn độn trong cảnh tối đèn. (Everything became chaotic in the dim light.)
Variants and Related Words
Tối mò (adj): Pitch dark, completely lacking in light.
- Khu rừng tối mò như mực. (The forest was pitch dark.)
Chạng vạng (n): Twilight, dusk. Refers specifically to the time of fading light after sunset.
- Họ đi dạo vào lúc chạng vạng. (They took a walk at twilight.)
Synonyms
- Nightfall: The onset of night; dusk.
- Dusk: The darker stage of twilight.
- Poorly lit: Having inadequate illumination.
Related Idioms
Tối đèn tối đuốc: An intensified form meaning "in complete darkness" or "in a great hurry and confusion during darkness."
- Tìm đồ trong nhà kho tối đèn tối đuốc thật khó. (It's hard to find things in the warehouse in complete darkness.)
Tối như hũ nút: An idiom meaning "as dark as pitch" or "extremely dark."
- Đường hầm tối như hũ nút. (The tunnel was as dark as pitch.)