Definition

1. Verb:
   • To raise one's head: To lift the head upward from a lowered or bowed position. This is the primary and literal meaning.
   • To hold one's head high (figurative): To regain or display pride, dignity, or confidence after a period of difficulty, shame, or submission.

Usage Examples

• Verb (literal):

  • Đứa trẻ ngấc đầu nhìn lên bầu trời. (The child raised its head to look at the sky.)
  • Cô ấy ngấc đầu khỏi gối. (She lifted her head from the pillow.)

• Verb (figurative):

  • Sau nhiều năm vất vả, giờ họ đã có thể ngấc đầu lên. (After many years of hardship, they can now hold their heads high.)
  • Dân tộc ấy không bao giờ chịu khuất phục, họ luôn biết cách ngấc đầu dậy. (That nation never submits; they always know how to rise up again.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is often used to describe a physical action with a strong connotation of changing one's state—from looking down to looking forward or upward, both physically and metaphorically.
• It implies a deliberate, often effortful, movement against a force (like gravity, pressure, or oppression).

Variants and Related Words

• Ngẩng đầu (v): A more common synonym for "to raise one's head." The two are often interchangeable, though "ngấc đầu" can sound slightly more literary or emphasize the effort involved.
  • Anh ta ngẩng đầu nhìn tôi. (He raised his head to look at me.)

Synonyms

• To lift one's head: The direct physical action.
• To raise one's head: The most common equivalent.
• To hold one's head high: The primary figurative meaning, indicating pride and resilience.

Related Idioms

• While "ngấc đầu" itself is a standard phrase, it is the core component of the figurative expression "ngấc đầu lên" (to raise one's head up), which is used to describe recovering one's spirit or status.
  • Cuối cùng anh ấy cũng ngấc đầu lên được sau thất bại. (He finally managed to hold his head up after the failure.)