Definition

1. Intransitive Verb:
   • To start, to startle, to be startled: To experience a sudden, involuntary physical reaction (like a jump or a jolt) or a sudden feeling of fear or surprise due to an unexpected event, sound, or thought.
   • To be alarmed, to be taken aback: To be suddenly worried, frightened, or surprised by something, often causing a moment of shock or realization.

Usage Examples

• Intransitive Verb:
  • Tôi giật mình khi điện thoại reo lúc nửa đêm. (I startled when the phone rang in the middle of the night.)
  • Một tiếng động lớn làm cả phòng giật mình. (A loud noise made everyone in the room jump.)
  • Anh ấy giật mình nhận ra mình đã quên hẹn. (He was startled to realize he had forgotten the appointment.)

Advanced Usage

• "Làm giật mình": To startle someone, to make someone jump.
  • Đừng lén đến sau lưng, bạn sẽ làm tôi giật mình đấy. (Don't sneak up behind me, you'll startle me.)
• "Giật mình tỉnh giấc": To startle awake, to wake up with a start.
  • Cô ấy giật mình tỉnh giấc vì một cơn ác mộng. (She startled awake from a nightmare.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sự giật mình (n): A start, a jolt, the act of being startled.
  • Cú ngã gây ra một sự giật mình nhẹ. (The fall caused a slight start.)
• Giật (v): To jerk, to tug, to snatch. This is the root verb implying a sudden, sharp movement.
• Kinh ngạc (adj): Astonished, amazed. Focuses more on wonder than fear.
• Hoảng hốt (adj/v): To be panicked, flustered. Implies a stronger, more sustained state of fear.

Synonyms

• To jump: To move suddenly and quickly off the ground.
• To flinch: To make a small, quick movement away from something frightening or painful.
• To be shocked: To be surprised and upset by something unexpected.

Related Idioms

• "Có tật giật mình": Literally "to have the habit of being startled". This idiom describes someone who is easily frightened or has a guilty conscience, making them jumpy.
  • Hắn luôn lo lắng về quá khứ, đúng là có tật giật mình. (He's always anxious about his past, he really has a guilty conscience.)

1. Statr
   • Cô ta giật mình khi nghe tiếng hắn
     She started at the sound of his voice

Idioms

• Có tật giật mình
  xem có