Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Physically weak or feeble: Having less physical strength or vitality than is normal or expected.
   • Weak in ability or proficiency: Lacking skill, knowledge, or competence in a particular area.
   • Weak in intensity or effect: Lacking force, power, or concentration; not strong.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau trận ốm, anh ấy trở nên rất yếu. (After the illness, he became very weak.)
  • Cô ấy cảm thấy mình yếu môn ngoại ngữ. (She feels she is weak at foreign languages.)
  • Ánh sáng trong phòng quá yếu. (The light in the room is too weak.)

Advanced Usage

• "yếu điểm": weak point, weakness (often used for abstract concepts like character, strategy, or systems).

  • Tính nhút nhát là yếu điểm lớn nhất của cậu ấy. (Shyness is his biggest weakness.)

• "yếu thế": to be in a disadvantaged or weaker position.

  • Đội khách đang yếu thế hơn trên sân. (The away team is in a weaker position on the field.)

Variants and Related Words

• Yếu ớt (adj): frail, feeble, weak (emphasizes fragility and lack of strength).

  • Một ngọn nến yếu ớt (A feeble candle flame).

• Yếu đuối (adj): weak, frail (often describes physical or moral weakness).

  • Anh ta không muốn thể hiện sự yếu đuối. (He doesn't want to show weakness.)

Synonyms

• Weak: Lacking physical strength or energy.
• Feeble: Pathetically weak, lacking strength.
• Poor: Unsatisfactory or of low quality (e.g., poor skills).

Related Idioms

• Chân yếu tay mềm: Literally "weak legs and soft hands"; meaning physically weak and incapable of hard labor.

  • Công việc đồng áng này không dành cho kẻ chân yếu tay mềm. (This farm work is not for the weak.)

• Phái yếu: A traditional term for "the fair sex" or "the weaker sex" (referring to women).

  • Anh ấy luôn lịch sự với phái yếu. (He is always polite to women.)

adj

1. weak, feeble