Definition

1. Interjection:

   • No; nuh-uh; yeah right: A colloquial, often emphatic, interjection used to express refusal, disagreement, or strong disapproval. It conveys a sense of "absolutely not" or is used sarcastically to mean "yeah, right."

2. Verb:

   • To stagnate; to accumulate; to be blocked: Describes the state of a liquid or substance collecting and not flowing freely, often leading to congestion or blockage.
   • To well up; to surge (emotion): Describes a strong emotion, such as anger or sadness, rising intensely within a person.
   • To ooze; to seep: Describes a thick liquid, like blood or pus, slowly coming out.

Usage Examples

• Interjection:

  • "Mai đi xem phim nhé?" - "Ứ, tao bận rồi." ("Let's go to the movies tomorrow?" - "Nuh-uh, I'm busy.")
  • "Tự nhiên nó tặng quà cho mày à? Ứ, chắc có ý gì đấy." ("He just gave you a gift for no reason? Yeah right, he must want something.")

• Verb:

  • Nước mưa ứ lại trên mái tôn. (The rainwater stagnates on the corrugated iron roof.)
  • Cơn tức ứ lên trong lòng. (The anger welled up inside.)
  • Máu vẫn ứ ra từ vết thương. (Blood is still oozing from the wound.)

Advanced Usage

• Medical/Physiological Context: Used to describe pathological congestion or stasis in the body.
  • ứ sữa: milk stasis (engorgement).
  • ứ gan: liver congestion.
  • ứ mật: cholestasis (bile stasis).

Variants and Related Words

• Ứ đọng (v): to stagnate, to accumulate (emphasizes the state of being stuck).
  • Nỗi buồn ứ đọng trong tim. (Sadness stagnates in the heart.)
• Ứ nghẹn (v): to be choked up (with emotion).
  • Nói không nên lời vì cảm xúc ứ nghẹn. (Unable to speak because of being choked up with emotion.)
• Ứa (v): to well up (often for tears). A closely related word with a similar meaning of slow emergence.
  • Nước mắt ứa ra. (Tears welled up.)

Synonyms

• Interjection: Không (no), đừng (don't), còn lâu (no way).
• Verb (stagnate): Đọng lại (to stagnate), tích tụ (to accumulate), tắc nghẽn (to be blocked).
• Verb (ooze): Rỉ ra (to seep), thấm ra (to exude).

Related Idioms

• Ứ tắc: Complete blockage or congestion. Often used for traffic or bodily systems.
  • Giao thông ứ tắc cả giờ đồng hồ. (The traffic was completely congested for an hour.)
• Ứ nghẹn cổ họng: To have a lump in one's throat (from emotion).
  • Nghe tin ấy, tôi thấy ứ nghẹn cổ họng. (Hearing that news, I had a lump in my throat.)

1. yeah; yes