nổi cáu
Definition
- Verb (Intransitive):
- To lose one's temper; to become angry: To experience a sudden, often visible, surge of anger or irritation. It describes the moment anger erupts or is expressed.
- To flare up; to get mad: To react with sharp, sudden anger to a specific stimulus or situation.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Anh ấy rất dễ nổi cáu khi bị chỉ trích. (He easily loses his temper when criticized.)
- Đừng nổi cáu với trẻ con như vậy. (Don't get so mad at the children like that.)
- Nghe tin đó, cô ấy nổi cáu ngay lập tức. (Upon hearing that news, she flared up immediately.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often implies an outward, sometimes explosive, display of anger rather than a quiet, internal feeling. It focuses on the act of becoming angry.
- It can be used with modifiers to indicate the intensity or target of the anger (e.g., - to fly into a rage, - to get mad at someone).
Variants and Related Words
- Cáu (Adj/Verb): to be irritated, grumpy. builds on this root, emphasizing the "bursting forth" of the irritation.
- Cáu gắt (Adj): irritable, short-tempered.
- Anh ấy đang cáu gắt vì mất ngủ. (He is irritable because of lack of sleep.)
- Nổi giận (Verb): to become angry (can be slightly more formal or severe than ).
- Bố tôi nổi giận khi thấy căn phòng bừa bộn. (My father became angry when he saw the messy room.)
Synonyms
- To lose one's temper: To fail to maintain composure and become angry.
- To flare up: To suddenly become angry or violent.
- To get mad: To become angry (common, informal).
- To fly off the handle (Idiom): To lose one's temper suddenly and violently.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Nổi cáu đùng đùng: To fly into a towering rage; to explode with anger.
- Ông chủ nổi cáu đùng đùng vì báo cáo sai sót. (The boss flew into a towering rage because of the erroneous report.)
- Dễ nổi cáu: Short-tempered; easily angered.
- Cô ấy đang mệt nên rất dễ nổi cáu. (She is tired so she is very short-tempered.)