lắt lay
[lat̚˧˦ laj˧˧]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
(verb) to shake weakly
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Sources & notes
Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗
Sense 2
Meaning · English
(adverb) strugglingly, barely making ends meet
Examples
Tôi không lội ngược dòng gì hết, tôi chỉ quá xót ruột khi ngày ngày phải nhìn cái cảnh công nhân của tôi sống lắt lay, làm lắt lay, ăn lắt lay, cái gì cũng lắt lay để rồi khi nằm xuống cũng lắt lay không ra cái giống người!I am not going against the current at all; it's just that my heart breaks when every single day I see my workers struggling to live, struggling to work, struggling to eat, struggling with everything, and even struggling to lie down afterwards; they don't seem human anymore!
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Common questions
What does “lắt lay” mean?
(verb) to shake weakly
Is “lắt lay” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.