Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Blocked, obstructed, clogged: Describes a state where a passage, channel, or flow is physically impeded, preventing normal movement or passage.
   • Congested: Can describe a state of being overcrowded or jammed, often leading to a halt in movement.

2. Verb (used with 'bị' or in passive constructions):

   • To be/get blocked, to be/get clogged: Indicates the action or process of becoming obstructed.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Cống thoát nước bị nghẽn. (The drainage pipe is clogged.)
  • Đường phố nghẽn cứng vào giờ cao điểm. (The streets are completely congested during rush hour.)

• Verb (in passive/descriptive sense):

  • Đường sá bị nghẽn vì lụt. (The roads were blocked by floods.)
  • Máy in lại bị nghẽn giấy. (The printer has gotten jammed with paper again.)

Advanced Usage

• "nghẽn mạch": (medical) To have a blocked/clogged blood vessel; can be translated as "vascular occlusion" or "to have a clot".
  • Ông ấy nhập viện vì bị nghẽn mạch máu. (He was hospitalized due to a blocked blood vessel.)
• "nghẽn tiếng": To be choked with emotion, to be too emotional to speak.
  • Cô ấy nghẽn tiếng khi nhắc đến kỷ niệm cũ. (She was choked up when mentioning old memories.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ứ nghẽn / Tắc nghẽn (n/adj): Stagnation, blockage; blocked, obstructed. A more formal or emphatic synonym.
  • Sự tắc nghẽn giao thông. (Traffic congestion.)
• Nghẹn (v): To choke (on food, liquid, or emotion). Related in sense of obstruction in the throat.
  • Anh ta nghẹn vì xúc động. (He choked up with emotion.)

Synonyms

• Tắc: Blocked, stuck. Often used interchangeably with "nghẽn".
• Bế tắc: Deadlocked, impasse (often for abstract situations like negotiations or traffic).
• Ách tắc: Gridlock, severe congestion.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As "nghẽn" is primarily an adjective, it does not form phrasal verbs in the same way English verbs do. Its meaning is often conveyed through descriptive structures. - Làm nghẽn / Gây nghẽn: To cause a blockage, to clog. - Lá cây rơi nhiều làm nghẽn cống. (Falling leaves clogged the drain.)

Related Idioms

• Nghẽn lời: To be at a loss for words, to be speechless (often due to strong emotion).
  • Nghe tin ấy, tôi nghẽn lời không nói được. (Hearing that news, I was speechless.)

1. Block
   • Đường sá bị nghẽn vì lụt
     The roads were blocked by floods