ngỡ ngàng
Definition
- Adjective:
- Surprised and disoriented; taken aback: To be in a state of mild shock, confusion, or wonder due to encountering something sudden, unfamiliar, or unexpected. It describes the feeling of being momentarily lost or bewildered by a new or strange situation.
- To be at a loss; to be at fault: In specific contexts, it can describe the feeling of being inexperienced, unaccustomed, or unsure in a new role or environment, leading to a state of slight confusion or error.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Lần đầu đến Nhật Bản, tôi cảm thấy vô cùng ngỡ ngàng. (On my first time in Japan, I felt utterly surprised and disoriented.)
- Mới nhận công tác, còn ngỡ ngàng. (Being new to the job, one is still at a loss.)
- Cô ấy ngỡ ngàng khi nhận được món quà bất ngờ. (She was taken aback when she received the unexpected gift.)
Advanced Usage
- The word often carries a poetic or reflective nuance, emphasizing the emotional and psychological impact of novelty or sudden change, rather than just simple surprise.
- It can describe the collective feeling of a group or a place: (The bewildered atmosphere of a small town receiving tourists.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ngỡ (verb): to mistakenly think, to suppose incorrectly.
- Tôi ngỡ anh đã về. (I thought you had already gone home.)
- Ngạc nhiên (adjective): surprised, astonished. (Note: is a more general term for surprise, while includes an element of disorientation.)
Synonyms
- Astonished: filled with sudden and great wonder.
- Bewildered: perplexed and confused.
- Disoriented: having lost one's sense of direction or familiarity.
- Taken aback: surprised and disconcerted.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Ngỡ ngàng như chim lạc bầy: To be as bewildered as a bird separated from its flock; to feel completely lost and disoriented.
- Đi lạc trong thành phố mới, tôi ngỡ ngàng như chim lạc bầy. (Lost in the new city, I was as bewildered as a bird separated from its flock.)
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At fault
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Mới nhận công tác, còn ngỡ ngàngTo be still at fault in one's new job
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