y hệt
Definition
Adverb:
- Exactly alike / Identically: Used to indicate that two or more things are completely the same in appearance, nature, or manner, without any difference.
- Just like / The spitting image of: Often used to emphasize an uncanny resemblance, typically in physical appearance or behavior.
Adjective:
- Identical / Exactly the same: Describing a state of being perfectly alike.
Usage Examples
- Adverb:
- Chiếc áo này y hệt chiếc áo kia. (This shirt is exactly like that one.)
- Nó cười y hệt bố nó. (He laughs just like his father.)
- Adjective:
- Hai chị em sinh đôi trông y hệt nhau. (The twin sisters look identical to each other.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used for dramatic emphasis in comparisons and can imply that the similarity is so precise it is noteworthy or surprising.
- Căn phòng được giữ nguyên, y hệt như hai mươi năm trước. (The room was kept intact, exactly as it was twenty years ago.)
Variants and Related Words
- Giống hệt (adv/adj): A near-synonymous compound meaning "exactly alike" or "identical." It is often interchangeable with "y hệt."
- Bản sao giống hệt bản gốc. (The copy is identical to the original.)
Synonyms
- Identically: In an identical manner.
- Exactly the same: With no difference.
- The spitting image of: Bearing a very close resemblance (used for people).
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Y như đúc: An idiomatic phrase with a very similar meaning, often translated as "the very image of" or "cast from the same mold," sometimes implying an even more precise duplication.
- Đứa bé y như đúc bố. (The child is the very image of his father.)