ngoẻo
Definition
- Verb (slang):
- To die, to kick the bucket: A very informal, often blunt or darkly humorous term for dying. It carries a casual, sometimes disrespectful connotation and is not used in formal or sensitive contexts.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Con chuột đó đã ngoẻo sau khi ăn bả. (That mouse has kicked the bucket after eating the poison.)
- Cục pin cũ ngoẻo rồi, cần thay cái mới. (The old battery is dead, we need a new one.) (Note: Extended metaphorical use for objects ceasing to function.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is almost exclusively used in spoken, colloquial Vietnamese. Its harshness can be used for comedic effect or to express indifference.
Variants and Related Words
- Ngoẻo cổ (v, slang): An even more vivid and informal variant meaning "to die."
- Nó làm việc quá sức, suýt ngoẻo cổ. (He overworked himself and almost died.)
Synonyms
- Chết: to die (standard, neutral term).
- Từ trần: to pass away (polite, formal).
- Kick the bucket: to die (English slang, similar informal tone).
Related Idioms
- While "ngoẻo" itself is short and slang, it can appear in crude, humorous expressions about death, but it does not form common idioms in the way more standard words do.