hổng

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The Vietnamese word "hổng" is often used in informal contexts and can convey a sense of something being incomplete, lacking, or having gaps. It is primarily used in the southern dialect of Vietnam.

Basic Meaning:

• Hổng: It can mean "to have gaps" or "to be hollow." For example, when referring to an object or concept that is not whole or complete.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use "hổng" to describe anything that has gaps or lacks completeness. It is often used in conversations to point out deficiencies or weaknesses in knowledge, understanding, or physical objects.

Examples:

1. Về kiến thức: "Kiến thức của tôi có nhiều lỗ hổng."
   (My knowledge has many gaps.)

2. Về đồ vật: "Cái hộp này bị hổng."
   (This box is hollow.)

Advanced Usage:

• In more nuanced conversations, "hổng" can be used metaphorically to describe emotional or psychological states. For instance, you can say someone feels "hổng" if they feel incomplete or unfulfilled in a personal or emotional sense.

Word Variants:

• Lỗ hổng: This phrase translates to "gap" or "hole" and can be used in various contexts, like a "knowledge gap" (lỗ hổng kiến thức).
• Hổng có: This phrase means "not have" or "there is not" and can be used to express absence.

Different Meanings:

• While "hổng" primarily refers to gaps or hollowness, in casual speech, it can also be used as a playful expression among friends, sometimes denoting a lack of seriousness about a topic.

Synonyms:

• Thiếu: Missing or lacking.
• Trống: Empty or void.
• Rỗng: Hollow or vacant.

Summary:

The word "hổng" is versatile and can describe physical gaps, deficiencies in knowledge, or even emotional states. It's a useful term in conversational Vietnamese, especially in the southern regions of the country.

Academic

1. Having gaps, gaping, hollow
   • Lỗ hổng
     A gap
   • Kiến thức có nhiều lổ hổng
     Knowledge with many gaps in it