cóc khô
Học thuậtThân thiện
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).
- Not at all