ngoam ngoáp
Definition
- Adjective:
- Gaping wide open: Describes something, typically a mouth, that is opened very widely, often in a rapid, eager, or exaggerated manner.
- Snapping or biting eagerly: Can describe the vigorous, open-mouthed action of an animal trying to catch or eat something.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Con cá sấu há miệng ngoam ngoáp. (The crocodile gaped its mouth wide open.)
- Đàn cá vàng ngoam ngoáp đớp mồi trên mặt nước. (The school of goldfish snapped eagerly at the food on the water's surface.)
- Thằng bé há miệng ngoam ngoáp chờ mẹ đút thức ăn. (The little boy waited with his mouth gaping wide for his mother to feed him.)
Advanced Usage
- This word is primarily used in descriptive, often vivid or humorous contexts to paint a picture of an open, active mouth. It is not typically used in formal writing.
Variants and Related Words
- Ngoạm (v): to bite, to snap (with the mouth). This is the root verb from which "ngoam ngoáp" is derived as a descriptive reduplication.
- Con chó ngoạm lấy cục xương. (The dog snapped up the bone.)
Synonyms
- Gaping: wide open.
- Snapping: making a quick bite.
- Yawning: open wide (like a yawn).
Related Idioms
- While not a standalone idiom, the word itself is often used in expressive phrases to depict eagerness, hunger, or a large, open orifice.