Definition

1. Noun:
   • Ankle: The joint connecting the foot to the leg, or the prominent bony protrusion on either side of this joint.
   • Knuckle (of an animal): The joint of a horse's leg, analogous to the human ankle.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Tôi bị trật mắt cá. (I sprained my ankle.)
  • Cô ấy đeo một chiếc vòng nhỏ ở mắt cá chân. (She wears a small bracelet around her ankle.)
  • Con ngựa bị thương ở mắt cá. (The horse injured its knuckle/fetlock.)

Advanced Usage

• "mắt cá chân": This is the most common and precise term for the human ankle. While "mắt cá" alone is understood, "mắt cá chân" (literally "eye of the foot fish") specifies the ankle joint of the leg.
  • Anh ấy băng bó mắt cá chân bị thương. (He bandaged his injured ankle.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cổ chân (n): The ankle (referring more to the general ankle area or joint, less to the specific bony protrusion).
  • Sưng cổ chân. (Swollen ankle.)
• Trật mắt cá (v phrase): To sprain one's ankle.
• Xương mắt cá (n): Ankle bone (malleolus).

Synonyms

• Khớp cổ chân: Ankle joint.
• Mắt cá chân: Ankle (full, specific term).

Related Phrases

• Vững như mắt cá chân: (Idiom) As firm/stable as an ankle. This is not a standard, widely-used idiom. A more common idiom describing stability is (as stable as a three-legged stand).

Notes on Different Meanings

• The primary meaning is anatomical, referring to the human ankle.
• In veterinary or specific contexts, it can refer to the fetlock or knuckle joint in animals like horses.
• It is distinct from "mắt" (eye) and "cá" (fish). The term is a compound noun where "mắt cá" literally means "fish's eye," likely describing the round, protruding shape of the ankle bone.

noun

1. (Anat) ankle