gai ốc
Noun: A physiological reaction where small, bump-like protrusions appear on the skin, resembling the skin of a plucked bird or the texture of a snail's shell. This occurs primarily due to cold temperatures or strong emotional states such as fear, awe, or excitement.
- (It's so cold, I have goosebumps all over.)
- (Listening to that ghost story, I felt goosebumps rise.)
- (That song was so beautiful it gave me goosebumps.)
The phrase "nổi gai ốc" (to rise/goosebumps) is the standard and almost exclusive verbal construction used with this noun. It functions as a fixed phrase to describe the experience. * Cảnh tượng khiến ai cũng phải nổi gai ốc. (The scene made everyone's skin crawl.)
- Gai người (n): A near-synonym meaning "goosebumps," with a similar usage in the phrase "nổi gai người." It can sometimes imply a slightly stronger reaction of fear or revulsion.
- Sởn gai ốc (v): A less common but synonymous verb phrase meaning "to get goosebumps," often emphasizing a sudden, creeping sensation of fear.
- Goosebumps (English): The direct equivalent.
- Goose pimples (English): A common synonym.
- Horripilation (English): The formal medical term.
While "gai ốc" itself is typically used in the fixed phrase "nổi gai ốc," the sensation is central to descriptive idioms about fear. * Dựng tóc gáy: Literally "hair standing on the back of the neck," meaning to be terrified or horrified. This describes a more intense reaction often co-occurring with nổi gai ốc. * Câu chuyện dựng tóc gáy khiến khán giả nổi gai ốc. (The hair-raising story gave the audience goosebumps.)
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goose-flesh
