Definition

Noun: - Mouth-organ: A small, portable musical instrument played by blowing and sucking air through reeds, with notes selected by pressing buttons or keys with the fingers. It is also commonly known as a harmonica.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anh ấy chơi ác mô ni ca rất hay. (He plays the mouth-organ very well.)
  • Chiếc ác mô ni ca này là quà của ông tôi. (This mouth-organ is a gift from my grandfather.)
  • Trong túi áo, lúc nào cậu ấy cũng có một cái ác mô ni ca. (He always has a mouth-organ in his pocket.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "ác mô ni ca" is a direct phonetic loanword from the French "harmonica." It is used interchangeably in Vietnamese to refer specifically to the harmonica, a free reed wind instrument.

Variants and Related Words

• Kèn harmonica (n): Another common term for harmonica in Vietnamese, literally "harmonica instrument."
  • Cô ấy thích chơi kèn harmonica hơn. (She prefers to play the harmonica.)

Synonyms

• Harmonica: The most common English equivalent.
• Mouth organ: A direct descriptive synonym.
• Harp: A common slang term for the harmonica, especially in blues music.

Related Idioms

• : To play the mouth-organ/harmonica.
  • Buổi tối, ông cụ thường ra hiên thổi ác mô ni ca. (In the evening, the old man often goes to the porch to play the mouth-organ.)

noun

1. Mouth-organ