tub nkeeg
The Hmong word for "lazy" is tub nkeeg.
tub nkeeg is an adjective used to describe someone who is unwilling to work.
Meaning: unwilling to work (adj)
Did you know?
- In Hmong culture, laziness is often framed as a failure of filial duty, which explains why the root for 'son' appears in the term tub nkeeg.
- The term tub is derived from the Vietnamese word tử and the Middle Chinese word 子, both meaning 'son' or 'child'.
- While tub nkeeg describes a person's character, Hmong often expresses the act of being lazy through the concept of 'sleeping' or 'staying in bed' rather than a single adjective.
Example conversation
Nao is talking to Xiong about cleaning the house.
- NaoXiong, thov pab kuv ntxuav tsev.Xiong, please help me clean the house.
- XiongKuv xav pw thiaj li tsis ua.I want to sleep, so I won't do it.
- NaoKoj yog ib tug tub nkeeg kawg!You are such a lazy boy!
- XiongTsis ua li ntawd, kuv tsuas yog nkees.It's not like that, I'm just tired.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tub, CC BY-SA 4.0.
