ậm ờ
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Interjection / Filler Sound:
- To hem and haw: The primary meaning of "ậm ờ" is to utter hesitant or non-committal sounds like "um," "uh," or "er" while thinking, searching for words, or being evasive.
- To hesitate in speech: It indicates a pause or falter in speaking, often due to uncertainty, nervousness, or a lack of immediate answer.
Usage Examples
- Interjection / Filler Sound:
- Cậu ấy chỉ ậm ờ mà không trả lời thẳng câu hỏi. (He just hemmed and hawed and didn't answer the question directly.)
- "Tôi... ậm ờ... tôi không chắc nữa," cô ấy nói. ("I... um... I'm not sure anymore," she said.)
- Đừng có ậm ờ, hãy nói rõ ý kiến của anh đi. (Don't hem and haw, state your opinion clearly.)
Advanced Usage
- While typically a spoken filler, "ậm ờ" can be used descriptively in writing to portray a character's speech pattern or hesitant state.
- Trong email, cách viết ậm ờ của anh ấy thể hiện sự thiếu quyết đoán. (In the email, his hemming and hawing writing style showed a lack of decisiveness.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ầm ừ (interjection): A direct variant with identical meaning and usage, also meaning to hem and haw.
- Anh ta ầm ừ một hồi rồi mới đồng ý. (He hemmed and hawed for a while before agreeing.)
Synonyms
- To hesitate (in speech): To pause before saying something.
- To falter: To speak in a hesitant or unsteady way.
- To be non-committal: To avoid giving a clear answer.
Related Idioms
- Ậm ờ cho qua chuyện: To hem and haw to get through or avoid a matter.
- Khi bị chất vấn, ông ấy chỉ ậm ờ cho qua chuyện. (When questioned, he just hemmed and hawed to get past the issue.)
- như ầm ừ