cấm cẳn
Definition
- Adjective:
- Grumpy, grouchy, irritable: Describes a person, especially an older person, who is often in a bad mood, easily annoyed, and tends to complain or mutter in a discontented way.
- Cantankerous, peevish: Refers to a habitually ill-tempered or quarrelsome disposition.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Bà cụ hàng xóm rất cấm cẳn, lúc nào cũng càu nhàu. (The neighbor is very grumpy, always muttering complaints.)
- Đừng có cấm cẳn như thế, vui vẻ lên nào! (Don't be so grouchy like that, cheer up!)
- Tính ông ấy hơi cấm cẳn, nhưng lòng tốt. (His temperament is a bit cantankerous, but he has a good heart.)
Advanced Usage
- Used primarily to describe a person's temperament or momentary mood, implying a persistent or habitual state of irritability.
- Often carries a nuance of being verbally discontented, not just silently upset. The person is likely to mutter () or complain.
Variants and Related Words
- Càu nhàu (verb): To grumble, to mutter complaints. This is the typical action of a person.
- Gắt gỏng (adj): Irritable, short-tempered. A close synonym, but often implies more audible complaining.
- Khó tính (adj): Hard to please, fussy. Can overlap, but is broader than just irritability.
Synonyms
- Grouchy: Being in a bad mood and complaining.
- Cantankerous: Bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative.
- Peevish: Easily irritated, especially by unimportant things.
- Irritable: Having or showing a tendency to be easily annoyed.
Related Idioms/Phrases
- Mặt cấm cẳn: To have a grumpy face.
- Sao lại làm mặt cấm cẳn thế? Có chuyện gì à? (Why are you making such a grumpy face? Is something wrong?)
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như cấm cảu
