Definition

1. Verb:

   • To gulp down, to chug, to drink greedily in one go: "nốc" describes the action of drinking a liquid, especially alcohol, quickly and greedily, often in large quantities or without stopping.
   • To down (a drink): It implies consuming the entire contents of a container in one continuous action.

2. Noun (Regional/Dialectal):

   • Small boat: In some regional dialects, "nốc" can refer to a small boat. However, this usage is less common in modern standard Vietnamese.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Anh ấy nốc một hơi hết cốc bia. (He chugged the whole glass of beer in one go.)
  • Đừng nốc nước lạnh như thế, hại họng. (Don't gulp down cold water like that, it's bad for your throat.)
  • Nó nốc hết chai rượu chỉ trong năm phút. (He downed the whole bottle of alcohol in just five minutes.)

• Noun (Regional):

  • Ngư dân dùng nốc để ra khơi đánh cá. (Fishermen use a small boat to go offshore fishing.) (Note: This usage is dialectal.)

Advanced Usage

• The verb "nốc" is informal and often carries a slightly negative connotation, suggesting a lack of restraint or manners while drinking. It is more common in spoken language.
• It is frequently used with words for alcoholic beverages (rượu, bia) but can also be used for other drinks like water or soft drinks when emphasizing the speed and greediness of the act.

Variants and Related Words

• Nốc ao (Verb phrase): To gulp down, to finish off a drink. This is a more emphatic form.
  • Hắn nốc ao ly rượu mạnh. (He gulped down the shot of strong liquor.)
• Tu (Verb): To drink (alcohol). This is a more general, neutral term for drinking alcohol, without the specific connotation of speed inherent in "nốc."
• Uống ừng ực (Verb phrase): To drink gluggingly. This is a descriptive phrase similar in meaning to "nốc," emphasizing the sound and manner of greedy drinking.

Synonyms (Verb meaning)

• Ừng ực: To glug, to gulp (onomatopoeic, describing the sound).
• Tu: To drink, to knock back (alcohol).
• Chén: To tuck into, to drink (alcohol, informal).

Related Phrases / Idioms

• Nốc như hũ chìm: To drink like a fish (literally: to gulp as if a jar is sinking). This idiom vividly describes someone drinking alcohol very heavily and quickly.
  • Sau khi thất tình, anh ta ngồi nốc như hũ chìm. (After his heartbreak, he sat there drinking like a fish.)

1. (địa phương) Small boat.
2. (địa phương) Gulp
   • Nốc hết chai rượu
     To gulp down a whole bottle of aclcohol