Bedeutung
Moving or working very slowly.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Vietnam, the snail is a common food item (ốc). However, in idioms, it is rarely associated with food and almost always with its physical speed. Using this phrase about a colleague's work can be seen as a 'passive-aggressive' way to push them to work faster without being officially formal. With the rise of high-speed internet, this idiom has seen a massive resurgence in the digital sphere, specifically targeting internet service providers during cable maintenance periods. Farmers use this to describe the growth of certain crops during a bad season, not just movement.
Use for emphasis
Add 'thật là' before the phrase to sound more natural when complaining: 'Thật là chậm như sên!'
Watch your tone
This phrase can sound very impatient. Use it with friends, but avoid it with people you need to show respect to.
Bedeutung
Moving or working very slowly.
Use for emphasis
Add 'thật là' before the phrase to sound more natural when complaining: 'Thật là chậm như sên!'
Watch your tone
This phrase can sound very impatient. Use it with friends, but avoid it with people you need to show respect to.
The 'Turtle' Alternative
If you forget 'sên', 'rùa' (turtle) is a 100% safe backup. Everyone will understand 'chậm như rùa'.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing word to complete the idiom.
Mạng Wi-Fi ở quán cà phê này chậm như ____.
The idiom is 'chậm như sên' (slow as a snail).
Which situation is best described as 'chậm như sên'?
Chọn tình huống phù hợp:
'Chậm như sên' describes a process or movement that is frustratingly slow.
Match the Vietnamese phrase with its English equivalent.
Nối các cặp tương ứng:
These are standard idiomatic translations.
Complete the dialogue with the correct phrase.
A: Sao cậu chưa làm xong bài tập? B: Tớ đang làm, nhưng máy tính của tớ ____.
The context of not finishing homework suggests a problem with speed.
Match the register to the sentence.
Câu nào là cách nói thân mật (informal)?
The use of 'chậm như sên' and the question 'Làm gì mà...' indicates an informal, impatient tone.
🎉 Ergebnis: /5
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Common things that are 'Chậm như sên'
Technology
- • Mạng Wi-Fi
- • Máy tính cũ
- • Tải phần mềm
Daily Life
- • Tắc đường
- • Xếp hàng
- • Bạn bè lề mề
Aufgabensammlung
5 AufgabenMạng Wi-Fi ở quán cà phê này chậm như ____.
The idiom is 'chậm như sên' (slow as a snail).
Chọn tình huống phù hợp:
'Chậm như sên' describes a process or movement that is frustratingly slow.
Ordne jedem Element links seinen Partner rechts zu:
These are standard idiomatic translations.
A: Sao cậu chưa làm xong bài tập? B: Tớ đang làm, nhưng máy tính của tớ ____.
The context of not finishing homework suggests a problem with speed.
Câu nào là cách nói thân mật (informal)?
The use of 'chậm như sên' and the question 'Làm gì mà...' indicates an informal, impatient tone.
🎉 Ergebnis: /5
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenIt can be. It's an informal critique. Use it for things (internet, traffic) freely, but be careful using it for people.
Yes, but it's not a common sarcastic trope in Vietnamese. It's better to just use 'chậm như sên' directly.
'Sên' is a land snail (no shell or thin shell), 'ốc' is a shelled snail. Both are slow, but 'sên' is the standard for this idiom.
Not a direct idiom, but you can use 'tiến độ rất chậm' or 'thiếu hiệu quả'.
Yes! 'Phim này diễn biến chậm như sên' is a very common way to say a movie is boring/slow.
Absolutely. It's a classic that hasn't aged. It's very common in texting.
Both are okay, but 'chậm như sên' is the idiomatic standard.
The falcon (cắt) or lightning (chớp). 'Nhanh như cắt' or 'Nhanh như chớp'.
No, that would be 'nấu lâu' or 'ninh kỹ'. 'Chậm như sên' implies an annoying delay.
Yes, it is used nationwide from North to South.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Chậm như rùa
synonymSlow as a turtle.
Lề mề
similarSluggish, dilatory.
Nhanh như chớp
contrastFast as lightning.
Bò ra đường
specialized formTo crawl on the road.
