Definition

1. Verb:
   • To get caught on, to be entangled in, to be snagged on: Refers to a physical object being obstructed, held back, or impeded by something else, preventing free movement or progress.
   • To be hindered, to be burdened by, to be tied down: Refers to a non-physical situation where one is held back, preoccupied, or constrained by responsibilities, problems, or emotional attachments.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Chân tôi vướng phải sợi dây. (My foot got caught on the string.)
  • Tàu áo này dài quá, dễ vướng. (This dress's hem is too long; it easily gets snagged.)
  • Anh ấy vướng một cuộc họp quan trọng nên đến muộn. (He was tied up in an important meeting, so he arrived late.)
  • Cô ấy không muốn vướng bận chuyện tình cảm lúc này. (She doesn't want to be burdened by romantic matters right now.)

Advanced Usage

• "Vướng mắc": to encounter a snag, hitch, or obstacle (often used for problems or difficulties).

  • Dự án đang vướng mắc về vấn đề tài chính. (The project is encountering a snag regarding financial issues.)

• "Vướng víu": to be cumbersome, to be physically in the way (reduplicative form emphasizing physical obstruction).

  • Bỏ cái ba lô xuống cho đỡ vướng víu. (Put the backpack down so it's less cumbersome.)

Variants and Related Words

• Vương vướng (reduplicative verb): to be slightly entangled, to be a little hindered (attenuated meaning).

  • Cảm thấy vương vướng một chút tình cảm. (To feel a slight lingering attachment.)

• Vướng bận (verb phrase): to be preoccupied with, to be burdened by.

  • Vướng bận gia đình. (To be tied down by family.)

Synonyms

• Mắc (verb): to get caught, to be stuck.
• Cản trở (verb): to obstruct, to hinder.
• Ràng buộc (verb): to bind, to tie down.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Vướng phải (verb + particle): to happen to get caught in/on; to run into (a problem).
  • Vướng phải đám đông. (To get caught in a crowd.)
  • Vướng phải khó khăn. (To run into difficulties.)

Related Idioms

• Vướng chân vướng tay: Literally "entangled feet and hands," meaning to be physically impeded or to have one's movements hindered.

  • Mang theo nhiều hành lý quá, vướng chân vướng tay. (Carrying too much luggage makes one all tangled up.)

• Vướng bận chuyện đời: To be burdened by worldly affairs.

  • Muốn sống an nhiên nhưng vẫn còn vướng bận chuyện đời. (To want to live peacefully but still be burdened by worldly affairs.)

verb

1. catch to be burdened