quýnh
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective (used predicatively):
- To be beside oneself, to be out of one's wits: Describes a state of extreme, overwhelming emotion that causes a temporary loss of composure or calmness. It implies being flustered, frantic, or in a tizzy due to intense feeling.
Usage Notes
- Grammar: "Quýnh" is almost exclusively used after a stative verb (like - happy, - afraid) to form a compound adjective phrase (e.g., , ). It intensifies the emotion described by the preceding verb. It is rarely used alone as an independent word.
- Register: The word is colloquial and expressive, commonly used in spoken Vietnamese and informal writing.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Nghe tin con đỗ đại học, bà ấy mừng quýnh. (Hearing the news her child passed the university exam, she was beside herself with joy.)
- Thấy con rắn, nó sợ quýnh bỏ chạy. (Seeing the snake, he was frightened out of his wits and ran away.)
- Tìm mãi không thấy chìa khóa, anh ta sốt ruột quýnh lên. (After searching endlessly for the keys, he became frantically impatient.)
Advanced Usage
- The structure "[Emotion Verb] + quýnh + lên" is a common variant that emphasizes the sudden onset or escalation of the frantic state.
- Đến giờ đi mà chưa xong việc, cô ấy cuống quýnh lên. (It was time to go but the work wasn't finished, so she got into a frantic panic.)
Variants and Related Words
- Cuống quýnh (adj): To be flustered, panicked, in a frantic rush. This is a more common standalone compound word with a similar meaning.
- Cô ấy luôn cuống quýnh mỗi khi có khách tới đột xuất. (She always gets flustered whenever guests arrive unexpectedly.)
Synonyms
- Frantic: Wildly excited due to worry or fear.
- Flustered: Agitated or confused.
- Beside oneself: In a state of overwhelming emotion.
Related Idioms
- While "quýnh" itself is a component of phrases rather than idioms, the pattern "[verb] quýnh" functions idiomatically to mean "to be extremely/extremely [verb]ed."
- Mừng quýnh: To be overjoyed, thrilled.
- Sợ quýnh: To be terrified, scared stiff.
- Be beside oneself, be out of one's wits
- Mừng quýnhTo be beside oneself with joy
- Sợ quýnhTo be out of one's wits with fright, to be frightened out of one's wits