ngả người
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To lean back: To incline one's body backwards, typically from a seated or standing position, often for relaxation or to avoid something.
- To recline: To position oneself in a backward-leaning posture, sometimes suddenly or limply.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Cô ấy ngả người ra sau ghế và thở dài. (She leaned back in the chair and sighed.)
- Anh ấy mệt mỏi đến mức ngả người xuống giường ngay lập tức. (He was so tired that he reclined onto the bed immediately.)
- Để tránh cú đấm, anh ấy nhanh chóng ngả người về phía sau. (To avoid the punch, he quickly leaned his body backward.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often implies a deliberate or relaxed movement but can also describe a sudden, uncontrolled motion due to surprise, weakness, or impact.
- It can be used figuratively to suggest yielding or succumbing to a situation, though this is less common.
Variants and Related Words
Ngả lưng (verb phrase): To lie down (to rest).
- Sau một ngày dài, tôi chỉ muốn về nhà và ngả lưng. (After a long day, I just want to go home and lie down.)
Ngả nghiêng (adjective/verb): To sway unsteadily; to be unstable or wavering.
- Người say rượu bước đi ngả nghiêng. (The drunk man walked unsteadily.)
Synonyms
- Lean back: To incline the body backward.
- Recline: To assume a resting or leaning position.
- Tilt back: To cause to slope backwards.
Related Idioms
- Ngả ngửa: To fall flat on one's back; to be taken aback or extremely surprised.
- Nghe tin đó, tôi suýt ngả ngửa. (Hearing that news, I was almost floored with surprise.)