đen đen
Definition
- Adjective (Tính từ):
- Somewhat black, blackish: Describes a color that is not fully black but has a blackish hue or is tending towards black. It is a reduplicative form (từ láy) derived from the root word "đen" (black).
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Bầu trời đen đen, sắp có mưa. (The sky is blackish, it's about to rain.)
- Chiếc áo này màu đen đen, không phải đen tuyền. (This shirt is a blackish color, not jet black.)
Advanced Usage
- This word is primarily used in descriptive, informal contexts to indicate a shade or quality of black that is not pure or intense. It often carries a nuanced, softer, or less definite meaning than the root word "đen."
Variants and Related Words
- Đen (adj): Black. The root word.
- Màu đen (The color black)
- Đen sì (adj): Very black, pitch-black. An intensive form.
- Đen thui (adj): Jet black, deeply black (often used figuratively for bad luck).
- Đen đúa (adj): Swarthy, dark-complexioned.
Synonyms
- Hơi đen: A bit black.
- Đen nhẹ: Lightly black.
Notes on Usage
- "Đen đen" is a reduplicative (từ láy): In Vietnamese, reduplication often modifies the meaning of the root adjective, typically indicating a lesser degree, a softened quality, or a subjective impression. It is not a standard compound word but a lexicalized reduplication.
- Context: It is almost exclusively used to describe color or visual appearance. It is less common in formal writing.
- Important: As a reduplicative of "đen," its core meaning is directly tied to the concept of "black." It does not independently carry the figurative meanings of "đen" (e.g., unlucky, sinister). Those figurative meanings are associated with the root word "đen" itself.
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xem đen (láy)
