Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Emaciated; gaunt; wasted: Describes a person or face that is extremely thin and weak, often due to illness, hunger, or exhaustion. This usage is now somewhat literary or formal.

2. Noun:

   • Martial arts; combat skills: Refers to the art, practice, or skill of fighting, either unarmed or with traditional weapons. This is a common abbreviation of "võ nghệ."
   • Military affairs (archaic): Pertaining to the military or martial sphere, traditionally contrasted with "văn" (civil/cultural affairs). This usage is now primarily historical or found in classical literature and idioms.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Sau trận ốm dài, anh ấy trông mặt mũi rất võ. (After the long illness, his face looked very gaunt.)
  • Cái đói làm cho người dân nơi đây gầy võ. (The famine left the people here emaciated.)

• Noun (Martial Arts):

  • Cậu ấy học võ từ nhỏ. (He has studied martial arts since childhood.)
  • Môn võ đó có nguồn gốc từ Nhật Bản. (That martial art originates from Japan.)

• Noun (Military, archaic):

  • Trong triều đình phong kiến có hai hệ thống quan lại: quan văn và quan võ. (In the feudal court, there were two systems of mandarins: civil and military.)

Advanced Usage

• "võ vẽ": (adjective) Having a little, superficial, or amateurish skill in something (often martial arts or a craft).
  • Nó chỉ biết võ vẽ vài thế tự vệ. (He only knows a few amateurish self-defense moves.)

Variants and Related Words

• Võ nghệ (n): Martial arts; the art and skill of combat. (The full form of "võ").

  • Biểu diễn võ nghệ. (To perform martial arts.)

• Võ sĩ (n): Martial artist; warrior; fighter.

  • Võ sĩ đai đen. (A black belt martial artist.)

• Võ đường (n): Martial arts school or training hall.

  • Tập luyện tại võ đường. (To train at a martial arts school.)

• Văn võ (n): Civil and military affairs; a phrase denoting both cultural and martial prowess.

  • Văn võ song toàn. (To be proficient in both civil and military arts.)

Synonyms

• Adjective: Gaunt, emaciated, skeletal, haggard.
• Noun (Martial Arts): Martial arts, combat arts, fighting skills.
• Noun (Military): Military, martial.

Related Idioms

• Mặt võ mình gầy: (Idiom) Literally "a gaunt face and a thin body," meaning to look utterly emaciated and weak.

  • Bệnh tật khiến ông ấy mặt võ mình gầy. (Sickness made him look utterly wasted.)

• Văn võ song toàn: (Idiom) To be accomplished in both literary/administrative and military arts; to be well-rounded in both civil and martial matters.

  • Vị tướng đó nổi tiếng là văn võ song toàn. (That general is famous for being accomplished in both civil and military arts.)

adj

1. wasted