khàn
Adjective:
- Raucous, hoarse, husky: Describes a voice or sound that is rough, low-pitched, and lacking clarity, often due to strain, illness, or overuse.
- Raucous, grating: Describes a loud, harsh, and unpleasant sound.
Noun:
- A set of three identical cards: In traditional Vietnamese card games like Tổ Tôm or Tài Bàn, this refers to a meld or combination of three cards of the same rank and suit.
Adjective:
- Anh ấy bị cảm nên giọng nói khàn đặc. (He has a cold, so his voice is very hoarse.)
- Tiếng cười khàn khàn vang lên từ góc phòng. (A raucous laugh echoed from the corner of the room.)
- Sau buổi biểu diễn, ca sĩ có giọng khàn vì hát quá nhiều. (After the concert, the singer had a husky voice from singing too much.)
Noun (in card games):
- Trong ván bài, anh ta có một khàn tam vạn. (In the card game, he has a set of three "tam vạn" cards.)
- Bài của cô ấy rất tốt vì đã xếp được khàn. (Her hand is very good because she has formed a set of three identical cards.)
"Cười khàn": To laugh raucously; to let out a rough, throaty laugh.
- Ông lão cười khàn một tiếng rồi bắt đầu kể chuyện. (The old man let out a raucous laugh and then began to tell a story.)
"Giọng khàn khàn": A consistently hoarse or husky voice (often used in a descriptive, onomatopoeic reduplicated form).
- Người hút thuốc lá lâu năm thường có giọng khàn khàn. (Long-time smokers often have a permanently husky voice.)
"Nằm khàn" (idiomatic): To be at a loose end; to be idle with nothing to do. (Note: This is a fixed idiom; the word "khàn" here does not carry its core meanings.)
- Cuối tuần không có kế hoạch gì, tôi chỉ nằm khàn ở nhà. (With no plans for the weekend, I just lounged around at home.)
Khàn khàn (adj, reduplicated form): Emphasizes the hoarse, rough quality of a sound. Often used descriptively.
- Giọng nói khàn khàn của ông ấy rất đặc trưng. (His distinctly raspy voice is very characteristic.)
Khàn đặc (adj phrase): Extremely hoarse; voice is completely gone or very thick.
- Cổ họng đau đến mức nói khàn đặc. (My throat hurt so much I could only speak in an extremely hoarse whisper.)
- Rè (adj): Cracked, tinny (for voice or sound). Often overlaps with "khàn" but can imply a higher-pitched break.
- Ồm ồm (adj): Deep and muffled (for voice).
- Khan (adj): Dry (for throat or voice). Note: "Khan" (dry) is a different word from "khàn" (hoarse), though they are sometimes confused.
"Giọng khàn khàn như giọng vịt đực / như giọng quạ": To have a voice as raucous as a drake's / a crow's. A vivid simile describing a very rough, unpleasant voice.
- Ông ấy hút thuốc nhiều nên giọng khàn khàn như giọng vịt đực. (He smokes a lot, so his voice is as raucous as a drake's.)
"Nằm khàn" (as mentioned above): To be idle; to lie around with nothing to do.
- Set of three same cards
- Raucous
- Cười khànRaucous laughter
- Giọng khàn khàn như giọng vịt đựcTo have a raucous voice like that of a drake, to have a raucous voice like that of a crow
- Being at a loose end (xem nằm khàn)