vơi vơi
Definition
- Adjective:
- Vast and distant; seemingly endless: Describes a space, landscape, or feeling that appears extremely wide, open, and extending far into the distance, often evoking a sense of boundlessness.
- Lofty and profound; deeply melancholic: Describes a state of mind, emotion, or artistic quality (like poetry or music) that is elevated, deeply sorrowful, or carries a weight of profound, lingering sadness.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Trời thu xanh vơi vơi. (The autumn sky is vast and endlessly blue.)
- Lòng tôi chợt thấy bâng khuâng, vơi vơi. (My heart suddenly felt a vague, profound melancholy.)
- Nỗi nhớ nhà cứ vơi vơi khôn nguôi. (The homesickness remains, a deep and unending ache.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used in literary, poetic, and artistic contexts to convey aesthetic and emotional depth rather than in everyday conversation.
- Can modify abstract nouns like "nỗi nhớ" (longing), "tâm trạng" (mood), or "cảm xúc" (emotion) to intensify their depth.
- "Mênh mông vơi vơi": A common poetic pairing meaning "boundlessly vast and distant."
- Cánh đồng mênh mông vơi vơi. (The field is boundlessly vast.)
Variants and Related Words
- Vơi (adj): to lessen, to decrease (in quantity or level). Note: "Vơi vơi" is a reduplicative form that carries a distinct, more abstract meaning compared to the root "vơi."
- Nước trong lu đã vơi. (The water in the jar has decreased.)
Synonyms
- Vast: of very great extent or size.
- Boundless: unlimited or immense.
- Profound (of emotion): very great or intense.
- Melancholic: characterized by a deep, pensive sadness.
Related Idioms
- While not a standalone idiom, "vơi vơi" frequently appears in Vietnamese poetry and song lyrics to create a specific mood of spaciousness and deep sentiment, often associated with nostalgia, separation, and the passage of time.