xanh mướt
Definition
- Adjective:
- Lush green / Vivid green: Describes a very fresh, deep, and vibrant shade of green, often associated with healthy, abundant, and moist vegetation. It implies a rich, saturated color.
- Very pale / Wan: Describes an extremely pale, often sickly, complexion, lacking healthy color. This meaning is less common in modern usage but is attested.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (Lush green):
- Cánh đồng lúa xanh mướt. (A lush green rice paddy.)
- Lá cây sau cơn mưa trông xanh mướt. (The leaves look vividly green after the rain.)
- Adjective (Very pale):
- Nước da xanh mướt vì ốm. (A very pale complexion due to illness.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily used in literary or descriptive contexts to evoke a strong visual image of freshness and vitality in nature. It often carries a positive connotation of beauty and fertility when describing scenery.
Variants and Related Words
- Xanh biếc (adj): deep blue or deep green (like the sea or sky).
- Xanh rờn (adj): a bright, fresh green (often for young leaves or grass).
- Xanh ngắt (adj): a pure, solid, and often cool shade of blue or green (like a clear sky or deep water).
- Xanh xao (adj): pale, pallid (specifically and commonly for an unhealthy complexion).
Synonyms
- Lush green: rich green, verdant, vibrant green.
- Very pale: ashen, wan, pallid.
Related Idioms
- While "xanh mướt" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is commonly used in poetic expressions to describe landscapes.
- Đồi núi xanh mướt một màu. (The hills and mountains are a uniform lush green.)