Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Irritated, causing a slight stinging or uncomfortable sensation: Used primarily to describe a physical feeling of mild irritation, often in the eyes.
   • (Less common) Quick, nimble, prompt: Describes a swift, agile, or brisk manner of movement or action.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Irritated):

  • Quạt thóc xong thấy nhặm mắt. (To feel some irritation in one's eyes after winnowing paddy.)
  • Bụi bay vào làm mắt tôi hơi nhặm. (The dust blew in, making my eyes feel slightly irritated.)

• Adjective (Quick/Nimble):

  • Nhặm chân tới trước. (To nimbly arrive first.)
  • Cậu ấy bước đi rất nhặm. (He walks very briskly.)

Advanced Usage

• "nhặm mắt": A common collocation meaning "to have irritated eyes" or "for one's eyes to feel gritty/itchy."
  • Làm việc trong xưởng gỗ cả ngày khiến anh ấy nhặm mắt. (Working in the wood workshop all day made his eyes feel irritated.)

Variants and Related Words

• Rặm (nhặm): An alternate or dialectal form with the same meaning related to irritation.
  • Mắt tôi hơi rặm vì khói. (My eyes are a bit irritated because of the smoke.)

Synonyms

• Ngứa, cay: Itchy, stinging (for the 'irritated' sense).
• Nhanh, mau, lẹ: Fast, quick, swift (for the 'nimble' sense).

Notes on Usage

• The meaning related to physical irritation (especially of the eyes) is the primary and more common usage in modern Vietnamese.
• The meaning of "quick/nimble" is considered less common and may be encountered more in certain regional dialects or older texts. When used, it often modifies body parts like "chân" (feet/legs) to describe swift movement.

1. Irritate
   • Quạt thóc xong thấy nhặm mắt
     To feel some irritation in one's eyes after winnowing paddy.
2. (ít dùng) quick, nimble
   • Nhặm chân tới trước
     To nimbly arrive first