Definition

Verb: - To rub one's eyes: The action of moving one's hand or fingers back and forth over one's closed eyelids, often done when tired, sleepy, or upon waking up.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đứa trẻ ngái ngủ, đang giụi mắt. (The sleepy child is rubbing its eyes.)
  • Cô ấy giụi mắt vì cảm thấy rất mệt mỏi. (She rubbed her eyes because she felt very tired.)
  • Sau khi thức dậy, anh ấy thường giụi mắt. (After waking up, he usually rubs his eyes.)

Advanced Usage

• The action is typically gentle and is a common, instinctive response to fatigue, sleepiness, or eye irritation.
• It can be used metaphorically in literature to depict a character's state of drowsiness, confusion, or the act of trying to see something more clearly, both literally and figuratively.

Variants and Related Words

• Giụi (verb): To rub. This is the base verb. "Giụi mắt" is a specific phrase combining "giụi" with "mắt" (eyes).
• Chà mắt (verb phrase): A near-synonymous phrase also meaning "to rub one's eyes," though "chà" can imply a slightly more vigorous rubbing.
• Day mắt (verb phrase): Another synonym, often used to describe rubbing the eyes, especially when feeling sleepy or having just woken up.

Synonyms

• Chà mắt: to rub one's eyes.
• Day mắt: to rub one's eyes (often upon waking).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• : A common, somewhat playful phrase describing the actions of a sleepy or groggy person, literally "rubbing eyes and rubbing nose." It emphasizes a state of being half-awake or not fully alert.

Related Idioms

• While "giụi mắt" itself is a descriptive phrase, it appears in expressions like (to sit rubbing one's eyes), vividly portraying someone who is still very sleepy or disoriented, often after being abruptly awakened.

verb

1. to rub one's eyes