nghẹn
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Choked; strangled: Describes the physical sensation of having one's throat blocked or constricted, making it difficult to breathe or swallow.
- Stifled; suppressed: Describes a feeling of intense emotion, such as sadness or grief, that feels physically constricting in the throat.
Verb (intransitive):
- To choke; to become choked: To experience a blockage in the throat, often while eating, drinking, or due to strong emotion.
- To be stunted (in growth): Used figuratively for plants or crops that fail to develop properly due to unfavorable conditions.
Usage Examples
- Adjective/Verb:
- Cô ấy nghẹn lời vì xúc động. (She was choked up with emotion.)
- Anh ta bị nghẹn khi nuốt miếng bánh quá to. (He choked when swallowing a piece of cake that was too big.)
- Cánh đồng lúa bị nghẹn vì thiếu nước. (The rice field was stunted due to a lack of water.)
Advanced Usage
- "nghẹn ngào": To be choked up; overwhelmed with emotion (often sadness). This is a common reduplicative form that intensifies the emotional meaning.
- Giọng cô ấy nghẹn ngào khi nhắc đến kỷ niệm cũ. (Her voice was choked up when she mentioned the old memory.)
Variants and Related Words
- Nghẹn thở (adj/v): To be breathless; to feel suffocated.
- Căn phòng ngột ngạt khiến tôi nghẹn thở. (The stuffy room made me feel suffocated.)
Synonyms
- Choke: To have the throat blocked.
- Strangle: To constrict the throat.
- Stifle: To suppress or suffocate.
- Bunged up: (Informal) for being blocked.
Related Idioms
- Nghẹn lời: To be speechless (due to strong emotion).
- Nghe tin đó, tôi nghẹn lời không nói được. (Hearing that news, I was speechless.)
- Nghẹn ứ trong cổ: To have something stuck in one's throat (literally or figuratively).
- Nỗi buồn nghẹn ứ trong cổ. (The sadness was stuck in her throat.)