ngắt lời
Definition
- Verb:
- To interrupt (someone): To speak while another person is speaking, causing them to stop or pause their speech.
- To cut (someone) off: To interject or break into a conversation before the other person has finished their thought.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Đừng ngắt lời người lớn. (Do not interrupt adults.)
- Cô ấy hơi bực mình khi bị ngắt lời giữa câu chuyện. (She was a bit annoyed when she was cut off in the middle of her story.)
- Xin lỗi vì đã ngắt lời bạn, nhưng tôi có một câu hỏi khẩn cấp. (Sorry for interrupting you, but I have an urgent question.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often implies a lack of politeness or an abrupt action. It can be used in both formal reprimands and casual observations about conversation etiquette.
Variants and Related Words
Cắt ngang (v): to cut across, to interrupt. This is a close synonym but can be used more broadly for interrupting any process, not just speech.
- Xe máy cắt ngang đường. (The motorbike cut across the road.)
Nói chen vào (v): to chime in, to butt in. This emphasizes speaking into an ongoing conversation.
- Cậu bé luôn nói chen vào khi người khác đang nói. (The boy always butts in when others are talking.)
Synonyms
- Interrupt: To stop a person while they are speaking.
- Cut off: To interrupt someone abruptly.
- Butt in: To interrupt or meddle informally (often implies rudeness).
Related Idioms
- Ngắt lời ngang xương: To interrupt someone very rudely and abruptly. This idiom intensifies the rudeness of the interruption.
- Anh ta ngắt lời ngang xương khi tôi sắp kết thúc bài phát biểu. (He cut me off very rudely just as I was about to finish my speech.)