The Vietnamese word "hổng trôn" literally translates to "bottomless" in English. It is often used to describe something that has no bottom or is hollow, making it unable to hold or serve its intended purpose.
Literal: "Cái chỗ hổng trôn này không thể dùng để đựng nước."
(This bottomless hole cannot be used to hold water.)
Figurative: "Tôi cảm thấy công việc của mình như một cái hổng trôn, không bao giờ hết."
(I feel like my work is a bottomless pit; it never ends.)
In a more advanced context, "hổng trôn" can be used in expressions to emphasize the idea of something being limitless or boundless, whether in a positive or negative sense. For instance, "tình yêu của mẹ là một cái hổng trôn" (a mother's love is a bottomless pit) conveys the idea that a mother's love is vast and never-ending.
While "hổng trôn" primarily refers to something bottomless, in some contexts, it can imply a lack of stability or reliability, such as in relationships or commitments that feel precarious.