Definition

Adverb: - Not at all; absolutely not; nothing whatsoever: A strong, informal, and often humorous or sarcastic negation used to emphasize the complete absence of something or the total refusal of a proposition. It conveys a sense stronger than simply "không" (no).

Usage

• This word is used to give a very emphatic negative answer or statement. It is informal and can sound blunt, humorous, or dismissive depending on the context and tone.
• It is typically used in spoken Vietnamese or in informal writing.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:
  • Anh ấy có tiền không? - Cóc khô! (Does he have any money? - Not a single cent! / Absolutely not!)
  • Tôi cóc khô quan tâm. (I don't care at all. / I couldn't care less.)
  • Trong túi cóc khô có một đồng. (There is absolutely nothing in the pocket.)

Advanced Usage

• "chẳng có cóc khô gì": to have nothing at all; to not have a single thing.
  • Căn phòng này chẳng có cóc khô gì cả. (This room has absolutely nothing in it.)
• The word can stand alone as a strong exclamation of denial or refusal.

Variants and Related Words

• cóc (adverb): A slightly less emphatic, but still informal, negation meaning "not at all." "Cóc khô" is an intensified form.
  • Tôi cóc biết. (I have no idea.)
• khô literally means "dry," and in this idiom, it intensifies "cóc" to mean completely dry/empty of something, hence "absolutely nothing."

Synonyms

• Không có gì: nothing.
• Hoàn toàn không: completely not.
• Tuyệt đối không: absolutely not.
• Đồng (in the idiom không một đồng: not a single penny).

Related Idioms

• Cóc cần: (I) don't need (it) at all. A dismissive phrase showing a lack of interest or need.
  • Những lời nói đó, tôi cóc cần! (I don't need those words at all!)
• The structure is often used with other verbs for emphatic negation: cóc thèm (can't be bothered to), cóc sợ (not afraid at all).

1. Not at all