nước miếng
Definition
- Noun:
- Saliva: The clear, watery liquid produced in the mouth by glands; spittle. It aids in digestion, keeps the mouth moist, and helps with swallowing.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Nhìn món ăn ngon, tôi tiết nhiều nước miếng. (Looking at the delicious food, I produced a lot of saliva.)
- Đứa bé chảy nước miếng. (The baby is drooling.)
- Anh ấy nuốt nước miếng vì căng thẳng. (He swallowed his saliva because he was nervous.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is used literally to describe the physical substance. In informal contexts, it can imply desire or anticipation, often related to food.
Variants and Related Words
Nước bọt (n): A direct synonym for saliva, often used interchangeably with "nước miếng."
- Nước bọt có chứa men tiêu hóa. (Saliva contains digestive enzymes.)
Nước dãi (n): Often refers specifically to saliva that drools or dribbles from the mouth.
- Con chó để lại nước dãi trên sàn. (The dog left drool on the floor.)
Synonyms
- Saliva: The watery liquid in the mouth.
- Spittle: Another word for saliva, especially when it is spat out.
Related Idioms
Chảy nước miếng: To drool; figuratively, to desire something greatly (usually food).
- Nhìn chiếc bánh đó tôi chảy nước miếng. (Looking at that cake makes my mouth water.)
Nuốt nước miếng: To swallow one's saliva; often indicates suppressing a reaction, desire, or something one was about to say.
- Nghe tin sốc, cô ấy chỉ biết nuốt nước miếng. (Hearing the shocking news, she could only swallow hard.)