ngai ngái
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Slightly pungent or acrid: Describes a faint, often slightly unpleasant, sharp smell or taste, typically associated with something raw, earthy, or unprocessed, like certain herbs, tobacco, or damp soil.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Mùi thuốc lào ngai ngái lan tỏa trong không khí. (The slightly acrid smell of tobacco spread in the air.)
- Cô ấy không thích mùi ngai ngái của rau húng mới hái. (She doesn't like the faintly pungent smell of freshly picked mint.)
- Căn phòng kho lâu ngày có mùi ngai ngái của ẩm mốc. (The room locked for a long time has the slightly acrid smell of dampness.)
Advanced Usage
- "ngai ngái mùi đất": having the faint, raw scent of soil.
- Sau cơn mưa, không khí ngai ngái mùi đất. (After the rain, the air carries the faint, earthy scent.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ngái (adj): The root word, meaning pungent or acrid. "Ngai ngái" is the reduplicative form, indicating a lesser degree or a faint presence of this quality.
Synonyms
- Pungent: Having a sharply strong taste or smell.
- Acrid: Having an unpleasantly bitter or sharp taste or smell.
- Earthy: Having a smell or taste reminiscent of soil.
Notes on Usage
- Ngai ngái is a reduplicative word (từ láy) derived from ngái. It almost always describes a smell or taste and implies the sensation is mild, faint, or just beginning to be perceptible, not overwhelmingly strong.
- It often carries a neutral or slightly negative connotation, describing a natural, raw odor that some may find unappealing.
- xem ngái (láy)