ẹt

Definition

1. Adjective (informal, dialectal):

   • Very flat or completely deflated: Describes something that has lost all air or volume, becoming extremely flat. Often used for tires, balloons, or cushions.
   • Very weak, feeble, or exhausted: Describes a person or thing that is extremely lacking in energy, strength, or vitality.

2. Adverb (informal, dialectal):

   • Very, extremely: An intensifier used to emphasize the degree of an adjective, similar to "very" or "extremely." This usage is noted in some dialectal and colloquial speech.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Lốp xe bị xì, ẹt hẳn rồi. (The tire is punctured and is completely flat.)
  • Sau trận ốm, người anh ta ẹt đi. (After the illness, he became very feeble.)
• Adverb:
  • Cái bánh này ngon ẹt! (This cake is extremely delicious!)

Advanced Usage

• "ẹt xì": An expressive phrase describing the state of being completely flat or deflated, often with a connotation of being useless.
  • Quả bóng bay để lâu ngày, giờ ẹt xì rồi. (The balloon has been left for a long time and is now totally flat.)

Variants and Related Words

• Xẹp (adj): flat, deflated. This is a more standard synonym for the "flat" meaning.
  • Cái gối bị xẹp hơi. (The air pillow is deflated.)

Synonyms

• Flat: (for objects) having lost air or shape.
• Deflated: having lost air or confidence.
• Exhausted: (for people) very tired.
• Very: (as an intensifier) to a high degree.

Related Idioms

• Ẹt lép: Similar to "ẹt xì," emphasizing a state of being utterly flat or without energy.
  • Bơm bóng lên đi, nó ẹt lép thế kia! (Inflate the ball, it's so flat!)