đen sịt
Definition
- Adjective:
- Pitch-black, intensely black: Describes a color that is extremely dark black, without any lightness or other hues. It emphasizes a deep, absolute blackness.
- Gloomy, very dark: Used figuratively to describe a situation, atmosphere, or mood that is profoundly dark, pessimistic, or unfortunate.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Bầu trời đêm đen sịt, không một vì sao. (The night sky was pitch-black, without a single star.)
- Căn phòng không có cửa sổ, tối đen sịt. (The room had no windows and was intensely dark.)
- Vận đen sịt cứ bám theo anh ấy. (A streak of terrible luck kept following him.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used for dramatic emphasis to convey an extreme degree of blackness or misfortune, stronger than simply "đen" (black).
- Can describe abstract concepts like luck ("vận đen sịt" meaning "terrible luck") or a future that seems bleak ("tương lai đen sịt").
Variants and Related Words
- Đen (adj): black; unlucky.
- Màu đen (the color black); vận đen (bad luck).
- Đen kịt (adj): very dark black, almost synonymous with "đen sịt."
- Đường hầm đen kịt (a pitch-dark tunnel).
- Đen thui (adj): pitch-black; also used for terrible luck.
- Cháy đen thui (burned to a black crisp).
Synonyms
- Pitch-black: completely dark or black.
- Jet-black: deep, glossy black.
- Inky: dark like ink.
- Gloomy: dark or poorly lit; pessimistic.
Related Idioms
- Đen như mực: as black as ink.
- Mái tóc đen như mực. (Hair as black as ink.)
- Đen tình đen số: to have terrible luck in love and life.
- Cô ấy than thở mình đen tình đen số. (She lamented having terrible luck in love and fate.)