cáu gắt

cáu gắt

Ông ấy trở nên cáu gắt khi bị làm phiền lúc đang tập trung.

Definition
  1. Adjective:

    • Irritable, short-tempered, snappy: A state of being easily annoyed or angered, often resulting in sharp, impatient, or angry reactions.
    • In a bad mood, grumpy: Describes a temporary state of irritability and crossness.
  2. Verb (to be/become 'cáu gắt'):

    • To snap (at someone), to be irritable: To speak or react in a sharp, angry, and impatient way, often in response to minor annoyances.
Usage Examples
  • Adjective:

    • Anh ấy đang rất cáu gắt bị mất ngủ. (He is very irritable because he lost sleep.)
    • Đừng hỏi ấy bây giờ, tâm trạng ấy đang cáu gắt lắm. (Don't ask her now, her mood is very grumpy.)
  • Verb:

    • Ông chủ cáu gắt với nhân viên một lỗi nhỏ. (The boss snapped at the employee over a small mistake.)
    • ấy dễ cáu gắt khi bị đói. (She easily gets irritable when she's hungry.)
Advanced Usage
  • "nổi cáu": to flare up, to lose one's temper (a stronger, more sudden outburst of anger).

    • Nghe tin đó, anh ta nổi cáu ngay lập tức. (Upon hearing that news, he flared up immediately.)
  • "cơn cáu gắt": a fit of temper, a bout of irritability.

    • Đứa trẻ lên cơn cáu gắt không chịu ăn. (The child had a fit of temper and refused to eat.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Cáu (adj/verb): A shorter, more colloquial form meaning "irritated" or "to be irritated." It is slightly less intense than "cáu gắt."

    • Máy tính hỏng khiến tôi cáu quá. (The broken computer made me so irritated.)
  • Gắt (adj): Can mean "sharp," "harsh," or "severe." When combined with "cáu," it intensifies the meaning of irritability.

    • Lời nói gắt gỏng (Harsh words).
  • Cáu kỉnh (adj): Similar to "cáu gắt," meaning easily annoyed or cantankerous, often describing a person's general character.

    • Ông cụ sống một mình nên hơi cáu kỉnh. (The old man lives alone so he's a bit cantankerous.)
Synonyms
  • Bực bội (adj/verb): Annoyed, vexed. Focuses more on the feeling of frustration.
  • Nóng nảy (adj): Hot-tempered, quick-tempered. Describes a propensity to anger quickly.
  • Quạu (adj, Southern Vietnamese slang): Grumpy, in a bad mood.
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
  • Cáu gắt với ai: To snap at someone, to be irritable with someone.

    • Anh ta cáu gắt với đồng nghiệp không có lý do. (He snapped at his colleague for no reason.)
  • Làm cho cáu gắt: To irritate someone, to get on someone's nerves.

    • Tiếng ồn liên tục làm cho tôi cáu gắt. (The constant noise irritates me / gets on my nerves.)
Related Idioms
  • Nổi đóa / Nổi xung: To fly into a rage, to blow one's top (much stronger than "cáu gắt").

    • Khi biết sự thật, ấy nổi đóa lên. (When she learned the truth, she flew into a rage.)
  • Mặt cau có: To have a scowling/grumpy face (describing the facial expression of someone who is "cáu gắt").

    • Cậu bước vào với mặt cau có. (The boy walked in with a scowling face.)