TheVietnameseword "nhím" means "porcupine" in English. A porcupine is a type of rodentknownforits long, sharpquillsthatcoveritsbody. Thesequills can helpprotecttheporcupinefrom predators.
Usage Instructions:
You can use "nhím" toreferspecificallytotheanimal.
It is a nounandtypicallyappears in sentencesthatdescribeanimals or nature.
Example:
"Con nhímrấtdễ thươngnhưngcũngrấtnguy hiểm." (Theporcupine is verycute, butalsoverydangerous.)
AdvancedUsage:
In literature or storytelling, "nhím" can be usedmetaphoricallytodescribesomeonewho is defensive or prickly in personality, muchlikehow a porcupineusesitsquillsforprotection.
Word Variants:
"nhím biển" – refersto a seaurchin, which is a differentanimalfound in theocean.
"nhímđất" – oftenreferstothehedgehog, which is a similarbutdistinctanimal.
Different Meanings:
Besidestheprimarymeaning as a porcupine, "nhím" can also be usedinformallytodescribesomeonewho is overlycautious or defensive in socialsituations (thoughthisusage is lesscommon).
Synonyms:
"con nhím" is a directsynonymforporcupine.
Thereare no directsynonyms in Vietnamesethatmeanexactlythesame as "nhím," butrelatedanimalslike "nhím biển" (seaurchin) or "nhímđất" (hedgehog) can sometimescome up in conversation.