ngoẹo
Definition
Verb:
- To twist or to bend at an angle: To move or force a part of the body, especially the neck or head, into a crooked, tilted, or unnatural position.
- To become twisted or bent: To be in a state of being crooked, slanted, or not straight.
Adjective:
- Crooked or askew: Describing something that is not straight, tilted to one side, or bent out of its normal shape.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Cô ấy ngoẹo cổ để nhìn lên tòa nhà cao. (She twisted her neck to look up at the tall building.)
- Cái cây bị gió thổi ngoẹo hẳn sang một bên. (The tree was blown completely askew to one side by the wind.)
- Adjective:
- Cái giá treo bị ngoẹo sau cơn bão. (The coat rack was crooked after the storm.)
- Anh ấy đội mũ bị ngoẹo. (He wore his hat askew.)
Advanced Usage
- "ngoẹo đầu": to tilt one's head.
- Đứa trẻ ngoẹo đầu thắc mắc. (The child tilted its head in puzzlement.)
- "ngoẹo chân": to twist one's ankle/foot.
- Tôi suýt ngoẹo chân khi bước xuống cầu thang. (I almost twisted my ankle stepping down the stairs.)
Variants and Related Words
- Vẹo (adj, v): A more common synonym meaning crooked, bent, or twisted. "Ngoẹo" often implies a more acute or sudden angle.
- Cái đinh bị bẻ vẹo. (The nail was bent crooked.)
Synonyms
- To twist: To turn or bend something out of its natural shape.
- To tilt: To cause to slope or lean.
- Crooked: Not straight; bent or curved.
- Askew: Not in a straight or level position.
Related Idioms
- Ngoẹo cổ: Literally "to twist one's neck," often used to describe straining to see something or showing disbelief.
- Mọi người đều ngoẹo cổ nhìn theo đoàn diễu hành. (Everyone craned their necks to watch the parade.)
- Cười ngoẹo đầu: To laugh so hard one's head tilts back.
- Câu chuyện hài khiến khán giả cười ngoẹo đầu. (The funny story made the audience laugh uproariously.)