Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Desolate, bleak, or dreary: Describes a place, scene, or atmosphere that is empty, quiet, and evokes a profound sense of sadness, loneliness, or melancholy.
   • Gloomy and deserted: Conveys a feeling of abandonment and stillness, often due to a lack of people or activity, resulting in a somber mood.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cánh đồng hoang vắng trông thật đìu hiu. (The deserted field looks truly desolate.)
  • Không khí trong ngôi nhà cũ thật đìu hiu. (The atmosphere in the old house is very gloomy.)
  • Con đường làng chiều mưa thật đìu hiu. (The village road on a rainy afternoon is so bleak.)

Advanced Usage

• Literary and poetic use: "Đìu hiu" is primarily used in literary, poetic, or descriptive contexts to create a vivid emotional landscape. It is less common in everyday spoken language.
  • Tiếng gió thổi qua rừng thông nghe đìu hiu. (The sound of the wind blowing through the pine forest sounds desolate.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hiu quạnh (adj): lonely, secluded, desolate. Often used similarly to "đìu hiu" but can emphasize solitude more.

  • Một nơi hiu quạnh giữa núi rừng. (A secluded place in the mountains.)

• Vắng vẻ (adj): quiet, deserted, lacking people. Focuses more on the absence of people/activity than the emotional mood.

  • Đường phố vắng vẻ vào sáng sớm. (The streets are quiet in the early morning.)

Synonyms

• Desolate: barren, empty, and depressing.
• Bleak: cold, bare, and unwelcoming.
• Dreary: dull, gloomy, and depressing.
• Gloomy: dark, poorly lit, and melancholic.
• Forlorn: sad, lonely, and abandoned.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Cảnh đìu hiu: a desolate scene.

  • Sau chiến tranh, cảnh đìu hiu bao trùm khắp làng mạc. (After the war, a desolate scene covered the villages.)

• Tiếng đìu hiu: a desolate sound (often used poetically for wind or nature sounds).

  • Chỉ nghe tiếng gió đìu hiu. (Only the sound of the desolate wind could be heard.)

adj

1. gloomy