Definition

Verb: - To prick up one's ears: To listen attentively, often by straining to hear a sound or by paying close attention to what is being said. The term implies a deliberate, focused effort to listen, sometimes in a context where the speaker is being commanding or the listener is being scolded.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ta giỏng tai lên nghe tiếng động lạ trong đêm. (He pricked up his ears to listen to the strange noise in the night.)
  • Cô giáo nghiêm khắc bảo: "Các em hãy giỏng tai mà nghe cho kỹ." (The strict teacher said: "You all, prick up your ears and listen carefully.")
  • Tôi phải giỏng tai mới nghe rõ lời anh ấy nói trong tiếng ồn. (I had to prick up my ears to hear his words clearly in the noise.)

Advanced Usage

• "giỏng tai lên": To prick up one's ears (often used with "lên" for emphasis).
  • Nghe thấy tên mình, cô ấy lập tức giỏng tai lên. (Upon hearing her name, she immediately pricked up her ears.)
• Used to describe listening in a submissive or reprimanded manner, often following a command.
  • Bị mẹ mắng, nó chỉ biết giỏng tai ra nghe. (Being scolded by his mother, he could only prick up his ears and listen.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chăm chú nghe (verb phrase): To listen attentively. (A more common, neutral synonym).
• Lắng nghe (verb): To listen intently, to heed.
• Chú ý lắng nghe (verb phrase): To pay attention and listen.

Synonyms

• Lắng tai nghe: To listen intently (similar connotation of focusing one's hearing).
• Dỏng tai: (Less common, regional) To prick up one's ears.

Notes on Meaning and Usage

• The word "giỏng tai" often carries a nuance of the listener being in a subordinate position or being ordered to listen carefully. It is frequently used in imperative sentences or contexts involving criticism, commands, or secrets.
• It is more vivid and idiomatic than the simple "nghe" (to hear/listen). It paints a picture of physically straining to catch a sound.
• While the core meaning is "to prick up one's ears," the Vietnamese term is more commonly used in figurative speech for humans paying sharp attention, rather than for animals (though it can be used for animals too).

verb

1. to prick up one's ears