Definition

Verb: - To open one's mouth to speak: The primary meaning is the physical and verbal act of beginning to speak or uttering words. It often implies initiating speech, especially after a period of silence or when one is expected to speak. - To speak up; to voice an opinion: It can also mean to express one's thoughts, make a request, or state something, sometimes with a nuance of daring to speak or being the first to speak in a situation.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy ngồi im lặng rất lâu trước khi mở miệng nói. (He sat in silence for a long time before opening his mouth to speak.)
  • Cô ấy không dám mở miệng xin sếp tăng lương. (She didn't dare speak up to ask the boss for a raise.)
  • Đừng mở miệng ra là phàn nàn! (Don't open your mouth just to complain!)

Advanced Usage

• "mở miệng là...": This structure means "as soon as one opens one's mouth, it's to...", implying a habitual or predictable pattern of speech (often negative).
  • Anh ta mở miệng là khoe khoang. (As soon as he opens his mouth, it's to boast.)
• "không dám mở miệng": Means "to not dare to speak" or "to be afraid to voice an opinion."
  • Trước mặt ông chủ, nhân viên đều không dám mở miệng. (In front of the boss, the employees all didn't dare to speak.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mở lời (verb): A more formal or literary synonym meaning "to begin speaking" or "to broach a subject."
  • Anh ấy ngần ngại, không biết nên mở lời thế nào. (He hesitated, not knowing how to begin speaking.)
• Há miệng (verb): Literally "to gape/open one's mouth," often used for physical actions like yawning or being surprised, but can overlap in the context of starting to speak.
  • Cô há miệng định nói gì đó nhưng lại thôi. (She opened her mouth to say something but then stopped.)

Synonyms

• Cất tiếng (verb): To raise one's voice, to begin to speak or sing. Often used in more formal or poetic contexts.
  • Sau một hồi im lặng, cô ấy cất tiếng hát. (After a period of silence, she began to sing.)
• Lên tiếng (verb): To speak up, to voice an opinion, often in defense of something or to express a stance.
  • Anh ấy đã lên tiếng bảo vệ đồng nghiệp. (He spoke up to defend his colleague.)

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As a compound verb, "mở miệng" itself functions as a phrasal unit. Related Vietnamese phrases often use this structure. - Mở miệng xin: To open one's mouth to ask/request (something). - Nó ngại quá, không mở miệng xin tiền bố mẹ. (He was too shy to ask his parents for money.) - Mở miệng chê: To open one's mouth to criticize. - Đừng mở miệng chê bai người khác. (Don't open your mouth just to criticize others.)

Related Idioms

• Ăn trước *mở miệng sau: Literally "eat first, *open mouth later." This idiom advises that one should be careful about speaking, especially making requests or complaints, after having accepted a favor or gift (like a meal). It implies a sense of obligation or lost leverage.
  • Anh đã nhận quà của họ rồi, giờ ăn trước mở miệng sau khó nói lắm. (You've already accepted their gift; now it's a case of having eaten first so it's hard to speak up later, very difficult to say anything.)

verb

1. to open one's mouth to speak