Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Very thick, dense: Describes a substance with an extremely high viscosity, where particles are closely packed, often to the point of being stiff or semi-solid.
   • Thoroughly, genuinely, unmistakably: Used figuratively to describe a quality that is pure, intense, and undiluted, leaving no doubt about its nature or origin.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (literal - thick):

  • Hỗn hợp bột này đặc sệt, khó khuấy. (This flour mixture is very thick and hard to stir.)
  • Nước sốt có độ đặc sệt vừa phải. (The sauce has a suitably dense thickness.)

• Adjective (figurative - genuine):

  • Anh ấy nói tiếng Anh đặc sệt giọng Oxford. (He speaks English with a genuinely Oxonian accent.)
  • Phong cách kiến trúc đặc sệt vùng Tây Nguyên. (The architectural style is thoroughly characteristic of the Central Highlands.)

Advanced Usage

• Often used to emphasize the extreme or quintessential nature of a characteristic, especially in speech, style, or local flavor.
• It can carry a slightly informal or emphatic tone when used in the figurative sense.

Variants and Related Words

• Đặc (adj): thick, dense. A more general and common term for thickness.

  • Sữa chua này rất đặc. (This yogurt is very thick.)

• Sệt (adj): thick, viscous. Often used similarly to "đặc," but can imply a stickier consistency.

  • Cháo nấu nhừ trở nên sệt lại. (The porridge cooked until soft became viscous.)

Synonyms

• Thick: having a dense consistency.
• Dense: closely compacted in substance.
• Genuine: truly what something is said to be; authentic.
• Unmistakable: not able to be mistaken for anything else; very distinct.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Đặc sệt chất...: thoroughly imbued with the character/quality of...
  • Căn nhà đặc sệt chất cổ điển Pháp. (The house is thoroughly classic French in character.)

1. Very thick, dense
2. Thoroughly, genuinely
   • Nói tiếng Anh đặc sệt giọng Oxford
     To speak English with a genuinely Oxonian accent