Definition

1. Verb:
   • To itch: To have an uncomfortable sensation on the skin that makes one want to scratch. This is the primary and most common meaning.
   • (Informal, figurative) To have an urge; to feel restless: Used figuratively to describe a strong, often restless, desire or impulse to do something, typically paired with a body part (e.g., hands, feet, ears).

Usage Examples

• Verb (literal - to itch):

  • Vai tôi ngứa. (My shoulder is itching.)
  • Con muỗi đốt làm tôi ngứa. (The mosquito bite makes me itch.)
  • Cô ấy bị dị ứng và ngứa khắp người. (She has an allergy and itches all over.)

• Verb (figurative - to have an urge):

  • Thấy đám thanh niên đánh nhau, anh ta ngứa tay muốn tham gia. (Seeing the young men fighting, he felt an itch in his hands and wanted to join in.)
  • Nghe họ nói xấu, tôi ngứa miệng muốn cãi lại. (Hearing them speak ill, I had an itch in my mouth and wanted to argue back.)

Advanced Usage

• "Gãi đúng chỗ ngứa": To scratch the right itch. This idiom means to satisfy a need precisely or to address the exact point of someone's desire or concern.

  • Lời khen của sếp gãi đúng chỗ ngứa của anh ấy. (The boss's praise scratched his exact itch / hit the spot.)

• "Ngứa mắt": Literally "eyes itch". Figuratively, it means to feel annoyed or irritated by the sight of someone or something, often leading to a desire to intervene or criticize.

  • Thấy họ làm hỏng việc, tôi ngứa mắt lắm. (Seeing them mess up the job really makes my eyes itch / really irritates me.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ngưa ngứa (reduplicative form): To have a slight itch; a mild or beginning sensation of itching.

  • Sau khi tắm biển, da tôi ngưa ngứa. (After swimming in the sea, my skin feels a little itchy.)

• Ngứa ngáy: An intensified form meaning "to itch persistently or severely".

  • Căn bệnh khiến anh ấy ngứa ngáy cả đêm. (The illness made him itch severely all night.)

• Sự ngứa (Noun): The itch; the state or sensation of itching.

  • Sự ngứa này thật không chịu nổi. (This itch is really unbearable.)

Synonyms

• Buồn: In some contexts, can be used similarly to the figurative sense of "ngứa" for a restless urge (e.g., = feeling a restless urge with the hands).
• Muốn: To want. While "muốn" is a general term for desire, "ngứa" implies a more physical, restless, or impulsive urge related to a specific body part.

Related Phrases (Figurative Use with Body Parts)

• Ngứa tay: To have an itch in one's hands; to have a strong urge to do something with one's hands (often to hit, fiddle with something, or get involved).
• Ngứa chân: To have an itch in one's feet; to feel restless and want to move or go somewhere.
• Ngứa miệng: To have an itch in one's mouth; to have a strong urge to say something (often to argue, gossip, or interrupt).
• Ngứa tai: To have an itch in one's ears; to be eager or curious to hear something.

verb

1. to itch
   • vai tôi ngứa
     My shouder is itching