cây cẩy
Definition
- Verb:
- To flinch / to wince: A sudden, small, and often involuntary movement of the body due to surprise, pain, fear, or a sudden stimulus.
- To tremble / to shudder: To shake slightly and briefly, often as a reflexive reaction.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Nghe tiếng nổ lớn, nó cây cẩy. (Hearing the loud bang, he flinched.)
- Cô ấy cây cẩy vì lạnh. (She shuddered from the cold.)
- Đứa trẻ cây cẩy khi bị chích. (The child winced when given the injection.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "cây cẩy" is primarily used in spoken, colloquial Vietnamese and is less common in formal writing. It vividly describes a quick, jerky physical reaction.
Variants and Related Words
- Giật mình (v): to be startled, to jump in surprise. This is a more common synonym for a reaction to a sudden scare.
- Tiếng động làm tôi giật mình. (The noise made me jump.)
Synonyms
- Flinch: to make a quick, nervous movement as an instinctive reaction to fear, pain, or surprise.
- Wince: to show slight, momentary pain or distress by a facial expression or body movement.
- Shudder: to tremble convulsively, typically as a result of fear or revulsion.
- Tremble: to shake involuntarily, typically due to anxiety, excitement, or weakness.
Notes on Usage
- "Cây cẩy" specifically implies a small, sharp, and contained bodily tremor. It is not used for continuous shaking (like "run" from cold or fear), which would be "run lẩy bẩy" or "lạnh run".
- This verb is typically intransitive; it does not take a direct object. The cause of the reaction is usually introduced with words like "vì" (because of) or implied by context.