cất mồm
Definition
- Verb (idiomatic, colloquial):
- To speak up; to start speaking: Refers to the act of beginning to talk, often after a period of silence or hesitation. It implies initiating speech, sometimes with effort or reluctance.
- To voice an opinion; to utter: Used to describe the action of expressing a thought or comment aloud.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Anh ấy ngồi im một lúc, rồi bất ngờ cất mồm. (He sat quietly for a while, then suddenly spoke up.)
- Cô ấy không bao giờ cất mồm phàn nàn. (She never voices a complaint.)
- Mãi sau nó mới dám cất mồm trả lời. (It was only much later that he dared to open his mouth and answer.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is informal and often used in spoken Vietnamese. It can carry a nuance that the speaker is breaking silence, sometimes to say something difficult, unexpected, or unwelcome.
Variants and Related Words
- Cất miệng (v): A direct synonym with identical meaning and usage.
- Ông ấy hiếm khi cất miệng nói chuyện. (He rarely opens his mouth to talk.)
Synonyms
- To speak up: To begin to speak, especially to express an opinion.
- To utter: To make a sound or say something.
- To open one's mouth: (Idiomatic) To start speaking.
Related Idioms
- While "cất mồm" itself is idiomatic, it is not typically part of a larger, fixed idiom. Its meaning is self-contained within the phrase.