Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Smooth; Soft: Describes a physical texture that is gentle, yielding, and pleasant to the touch, lacking roughness or hardness.
   • Calm; Peaceful: Describes a state or environment that is quiet, tranquil, and free from disturbance or agitation.
   • Sweet; Mellifluous: Describes a sound, especially a voice or music, that is gentle, pleasant, and easy on the ears.
   • Smooth (in operation): Describes a movement or mechanical process that is steady, fluid, and without jolts or disruptions.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Chiếc gối này rất êm. (This pillow is very soft.)
  • Biển hôm nay thật êm. (The sea is very calm today.)
  • Giọng nói của cô ấy nghe rất êm. (Her voice sounds very sweet.)
  • Chiếc xe mới chạy rất êm. (The new car runs very smoothly.)

Advanced Usage

• "êm ả": Serene, idyllic. Often describes a peaceful and gentle landscape or atmosphere.

  • Một vùng quê êm ả. (A serene countryside.)

• "êm xuôi": To go smoothly (for a situation or plan).

  • Mọi việc đã êm xuôi. (Everything has been settled smoothly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Êm ái (adj): Comforting, soft, and gentle. Often describes a feeling or atmosphere.

  • Lời an ủi êm ái. (Comforting words.)

• Êm đềm (adj): Peaceful, tranquil, and untroubled. Often describes life or a period of time.

  • Một cuộc sống êm đềm. (A peaceful life.)

• Làm êm (v): To soothe, to calm down (a situation or a person).

  • Anh ấy cố gắng làm êm không khí căng thẳng. (He tried to soothe the tense atmosphere.)

Synonyms

• Soft: for texture.
• Calm: for a state of peace.
• Smooth: for operation or surface.
• Mellow: for sound.

Related Idioms

• Trong ấm ngoài êm: Literally "warm inside, peaceful outside." It means having domestic harmony and peaceful external relations.

  • Gia đình họ luôn trong ấm ngoài êm. (Their family always has internal warmth and external peace.)

• Gió lớn sóng êm: Literally "big wind, calm waves." It implies a deceptive calm or that a situation is not as peaceful as it appears on the surface.

adj

1. smooth; sweet; soft; calm
   • biển êm
     a calm sea
   • gối êm
     solf pillow