ít oi
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Very little, very few, meager, scanty: Describes a quantity or amount that is extremely small, insufficient, or barely adequate. It emphasizes scarcity and often carries a connotation of disappointment or inadequacy.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Số tiền kiếm được mỗi tháng thật ít oi. (The money earned each month is very meager.)
- Trong kỳ thi, chỉ có ít oi thí sinh đạt điểm tuyệt đối. (In the exam, very few candidates achieved a perfect score.)
- Hy vọng tìm thấy anh ấy giờ đây thật ít oi. (The hope of finding him now is very slim.)
Advanced Usage
- "ít oi" vs. "ít": While "ít" simply means "little" or "few," "ít oi" is more emphatic, expressing that the quantity is not just small but disappointingly or critically so. It often implies insufficiency.
- Chúng tôi chỉ còn lại ít oi lương thực. (We have only a scanty amount of food left.) [Implies it's not enough]
- Chúng tôi chỉ còn lại ít lương thực. (We have only a little food left.) [A more neutral statement of fact]
Variants and Related Words
- Ít ỏi: This is the standard, more common form with the same meaning as "ít oi." "Ít oi" is a variant pronunciation/spelling of "ít ỏi."
- Phần thưởng cho người chiến thắng khá ít ỏi. (The reward for the winner is rather meager.)
Synonyms
- Hiếm hoi: scarce, rare (often for opportunities or occurrences).
- Khan hiếm: scarce, in short supply (often for resources).
- Lèo tèo: very few, paltry (colloquial, often for a small number of people or things).
Notes on Meaning
- The word is almost exclusively used to describe abstract nouns (like hope, opportunity, time) or uncountable quantities (like money, food, effort). It is less commonly used for countable nouns compared to "ít."
- It inherently carries a subjective, evaluative tone, often expressing the speaker's view that the amount is unsatisfactory.
- như ít ỏi