giật giật

giật giật

Mắt anh ấy cứ giật giật vì mệt mỏi.

Definition

  1. Verb:

    • To twitch repeatedly, to jerk intermittently: Describes a quick, involuntary, and repeated pulling or jerking movement, often of a small amplitude.
    • To flicker, to sputter (of light or sound): Describes an unsteady, irregular, and intermittent light or sound, like a faulty connection.

  2. Adjective:

    • Jerky, twitchy, spasmodic: Describes something characterized by or prone to sudden, abrupt, and irregular movements or actions.
Usage Examples

  • Verb:

    • Mắt anh ấy cứ giật giật vì mệt mỏi. (His eye kept twitching from fatigue.)
    • Bóng đèn trong phòng giật giật rồi tắt hẳn. (The light bulb in the room flickered and then went out completely.)
    • Âm thanh từ loa nghe giật giật. (The sound from the speaker is crackling/cutting in and out.)

  • Adjective:

    • Anh ta có những cử động giật giật rất kỳ lạ. (He has very strange, jerky movements.)
    • Đoạn phim quay được rất giật giật. (The recorded video clip is very choppy/jerky.)
Advanced Usage

  • "giật giật liên hồi": to twitch/flicker incessantly or non-stop.

    • Cơ mặt ông ấy giật giật liên hồi khi tức giận. (His facial muscles twitched incessantly when he was angry.)

  • "làm giật giật": to cause something to twitch/jerk/flicker.

    • Dây điện bị hở làm bóng đèn giật giật. (The exposed wire caused the light bulb to flicker.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Giật (verb): to jerk, to snatch, to pull suddenly. This is the root verb. "Giật giật" is the reduplicated form, emphasizing repetition or a continuous state of small jerks.
  • Co giật (verb/noun): to convulse, convulsion. A stronger, more medical term for violent, involuntary muscle contractions.
  • Giật mình (verb): to startle, to be startled. Refers to a sudden reaction of surprise or fear.
Synonyms
  • Nháy (verb): to blink, to flicker (often for eyes or lights). More specific for quick, on-off actions.
  • Rung (verb): to shake, to vibrate. Implies a broader, often continuous shaking motion rather than sharp jerks.
  • Chập chờn (verb/adjective): to flicker, to be unsteady (for light); to be intermittent, fluctuating. Similar in meaning for light/sound but can also describe abstract things like sleep or memory.
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As a descriptive verb/adjective, "giật giật" itself does not form phrasal verbs. It is used to modify actions.

Related Idioms
  • "Giật gân": sensational, thrilling (literally "to jerk tendons"). Used for news or stories designed to shock or excite.
    • Tờ báo đó chuyên đăng những tin giật gân. (That newspaper specializes in publishing sensational news.)
  • "Nổi da gà": to get goosebumps. While not using "giật," it describes a similar involuntary physical reaction.