Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To have one's heart beating hard and fast, to have a throbbing heart: This phrase describes the physical sensation of a strong, rapid, and often nervous or excited heartbeat that one can feel in their chest. It is typically used to express a state of anxiety, fear, anticipation, or intense emotion.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Mỗi khi đứng trước đám đông, tôi lại đánh trống ngực. (Every time I stand in front of a crowd, my heart starts throbbing.)
  • Nghe tin đó, cô ấy đánh trống ngực lo lắng. (Upon hearing that news, her heart was pounding with worry.)
  • Trước giờ thi, học sinh nào cũng đánh trống ngực. (Before the exam, every student's heart was beating fast.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is almost always used to describe an involuntary physical reaction to an emotional or stressful situation. It emphasizes the feeling of the heartbeat being so pronounced it's as if a drum () is being beaten in one's chest ().

Variants and Related Words

• Hồi hộp (adj/verb): To be nervous/anxious, to have one's heart in one's mouth. This is a very close synonym that describes the emotional state causing the physical sensation.
  • Tôi hồi hộp chờ kết quả. (I waited for the result with bated breath.)
• Tim đập thình thịch (verb phrase): An onomatopoeic phrase meaning "heart is thumping/thudding."
  • Nghe tiếng động lạ, tim cô ấy đập thình thịch. (Hearing a strange noise, her heart thudded.)

Synonyms

• To have one's heart pound/pounding: A direct English equivalent.
• To have one's heart race/racing: Emphasizes the speed of the heartbeat.
• To have palpitations: A more clinical term for a noticeably rapid, strong, or irregular heartbeat.

Related Idioms

• Tim như muốn nhảy ra khỏi lồng ngực: An idiom meaning "heart feels like it's about to jump out of the chest," used for an even more intense feeling of fear or excitement.
  • Khi nhìn thấy con rắn, tim tôi như muốn nhảy ra khỏi lồng ngực. (When I saw the snake, my heart felt like it would jump out of my chest.)

1. Have one's heard throbbing