Definition

1. Verb:
   • To stick out; to swell: To protrude or bulge outward, often in an ungainly or excessive manner.
   • To lie at full length: To sprawl or lie stretched out, occupying a lot of space, often in an ungraceful or sloppy posture.

Usage Examples

• Verb (to stick out/swell):

  • Bụng chửa ềnh ra. (Her pregnant belly swelled out.)
  • Cái bụng nó ềnh ra vì ăn quá no. (His stomach stuck out because he ate too much.)

• Verb (to lie at full length):

  • Nó nằm ềnh ra trên ghế sofa. (He lay sprawled out on the sofa.)
  • Đứa trẻ lăn ềnh ra khóc. (The child threw himself down at full length and cried.)

Advanced Usage

• "ềnh ềnh" (reduplication): Used for emphasis, indicating a stronger degree of the action (e.g., bulging or sprawling even more conspicuously).
  • Bụng nó ềnh ềnh ra. (His belly was bulging out prominently.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ềnh ệch (adj): Clumsy, bulky, awkwardly large or protruding.
  • Thân hình ềnh ệch. (A clumsy, bulky body.)

Synonyms

• Phình ra (verb): To swell, to bulge.
• Nằm dài (verb phrase): To lie at full length.
• Trải ra (verb): To spread out.

Notes on Usage

• Register: The word "ềnh" is primarily used in spoken language (khẩu ngữ) and carries a colloquial, sometimes slightly negative connotation, describing an unattractive or excessive swelling or an ungainly, sprawling posture.
• The action described by "ềnh" often implies a lack of elegance, control, or compactness.

verb

1. to stick out; to swell
   • bụng chửa ềnh ra
     To have a belly swelling with pregnancy
2. To lie at full length