ngậm họng
Definition
- Verb:
- To shut one's breath, to keep absolutely quiet: To stop speaking or making any sound, often suddenly or under compulsion. It implies being forced or choosing to remain silent.
- To be silenced, to be at a loss for words: To be unable to respond or argue further, typically due to being proven wrong or confronted with an undeniable fact.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Khi nghe tin đó, anh ta ngậm họng không nói được lời nào. (Upon hearing that news, he shut his breath and couldn't say a word.)
- Bị phát hiện nói dối, nó đành ngậm họng. (Caught lying, he had no choice but to keep absolutely quiet.)
- Lập luận của cô ấy khiến cả nhóm ngậm họng. (Her argument made the whole group fall silent.)
Advanced Usage
- This phrase is considered informal and somewhat rare in modern, formal Vietnamese. It carries a strong connotation of being into silence, often by shame, shock, or defeat, rather than simply choosing to be quiet.
- It is often used in narratives or direct speech to describe a dramatic moment where someone is rendered speechless.
Variants and Related Words
- Ngậm miệng: To shut one's mouth. (More common and direct, but can be considered ruder.)
- Câm họng: To be struck dumb/silent. (Even stronger and more colloquial, implying being silenced forcefully.)
- Im thin thít: To be completely silent, not making a peep. (Focuses on the state of being quiet.)
Synonyms
- Im lặng: To be silent/quiet. (Neutral term.)
- Lặng thinh: To fall silent. (Slightly literary.)
- Không nói nên lời: To be unable to speak. (Descriptive phrase.)
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
- Bắt ngậm họng: To force someone to shut up/to be silent.
- Sự thật đã bắt hắn ngậm họng. (The truth forced him to shut his breath.)
Related Idioms
- Ngậm bồ hòn làm ngọt: (To hold a bitter fruit in the mouth and pretend it's sweet). This idiom means to endure hardship or bitterness in silence without complaint. While different, it shares the concept of forced silence ("ngậm").
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(ít dùng) Shut one's breath
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Keep absolutely quiet
