niết

Đứa bé niết sữa trong bình.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To suck: The primary meaning of "niết" is to draw liquid into the mouth by creating a partial vacuum, often with the lips. It is synonymous with "hút" but can imply a more forceful or sustained action.
   • To siphon / to draw off: In a technical or extended sense, it can mean to draw off a liquid using suction.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đứa bé niết sữa trong bình. (The baby sucks milk from the bottle.)
  • Người ta dùng ống để niết nước ra khỏi bể. (They use a tube to siphon water out of the tank.)

Advanced Usage

• "niết thuốc lào": to smoke a traditional Vietnamese water pipe (thuốc lào) by inhaling through it.
  • Ông cụ ngồi niết thuốc lào. (The old man sits smoking the water pipe.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hút (v): to suck, to inhale; a more common and general synonym.
• Bú (v): to suckle, to nurse (specifically for babies and mammals).

Synonyms

• Suck: to draw liquid into the mouth.
• Siphon: to draw off liquid by suction.
• Inhale: to draw in air or smoke.

Notes on Usage

• "Niết" is less common in everyday modern speech than "hút." It often carries a connotation of a strong, deep, or continuous sucking action and is frequently found in specific contexts, such as smoking a traditional pipe or siphoning liquids.