Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To begin to speak; to raise one's voice to speak: To start talking, often after a period of silence or hesitation. It implies initiating speech.
   • To begin to sing; to raise one's voice to sing: To start singing, often the first notes of a song or performance.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Sau một hồi im lặng, cô ấy cất tiếng nói. (After a long silence, she began to speak.)
  • Ca sĩ cất tiếng hát bài dân ca. (The singer began to sing a folk song.)
  • Trong cuộc họp, anh ấy là người đầu tiên cất tiếng phản đối. (In the meeting, he was the first to speak up in opposition.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a nuance of breaking a silence or formally initiating an act of speech or song. It is more literary or formal than simply "nói" (to say) or "hát" (to sing).
• It can be used to describe the act of speaking up or voicing an opinion in a context where others are quiet.

Variants and Related Words

• Lên tiếng (verb phrase): to speak up, to voice an opinion. This is a close synonym but often emphasizes speaking out on an issue rather than just beginning to speak.
  • Anh ta đã lên tiếng bảo vệ đồng nghiệp. (He spoke up to defend his colleague.)

Synonyms

• Begin to speak: to start talking.
• Begin to sing: to start singing.
• Speak up: to express an opinion openly.

Related Idioms

• While "cất tiếng" itself is a set phrase, it is commonly used in fixed expressions like:
  • Cất tiếng chào: to call out a greeting.

    • Cậu bé cất tiếng chào ông ngoại. (The boy called out a greeting to his grandfather.)
  • Cất tiếng hát: to begin singing (as a specific act).

    • Cả khán phòng im lặng khi cô ấy cất tiếng hát. (The entire hall fell silent as she began to sing.)

1. Begin to speak; begin to sing