Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Drunk, intoxicated: The state of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, leading to impaired physical and mental functions.
   • Dizzy, nauseated, affected: Experiencing discomfort, dizziness, or sickness due to external factors like sun exposure, motion, or strong odors.
   • Enamored, infatuated, passionate: Being deeply absorbed or intensely fond of someone or something.

2. Verb:

   • To be drunk/intoxicated: To be in a state of drunkenness.
   • To be affected (by something): To experience physical discomfort from an external cause (e.g., sun, motion).
   • To be passionately fond of: To be deeply engrossed or in love with someone or something.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Anh ấy đã say rượu sau bữa tiệc. (He was drunk after the party.)
  • Tôi cảm thấy say nắng sau cả ngày đi biển. (I feel sunstruck/dizzy after a whole day at the beach.)
  • Cô ấy say mê âm nhạc từ nhỏ. (She has been passionate about music since childhood.)

• Verb:

  • Ông ấy thường say sau vài ly rượu mạnh. (He often gets drunk after a few shots of liquor.)
  • Nhiều người dễ say tàu xe. (Many people easily get motion sickness.)
  • Chàng trai say đắm cô gái ấy ngay từ cái nhìn đầu tiên. (The young man became infatuated with that girl at first sight.)

Advanced Usage

• "say như điếu đổ": To be madly in love; to be head over heels.

  • Họ yêu nhau say như điếu đổ. (They are madly in love with each other.)

• "say tít cung mây": To be dead drunk; extremely intoxicated.

  • Bữa nhậu hôm qua khiến anh ta say tít cung mây. (Last night's drinking session left him dead drunk.)

• "ngủ say": To sleep soundly/deeply.

  • Đứa trẻ ngủ say trên giường. (The child is sleeping soundly in bed.)

Variants and Related Words

• Say mê / Say đắm (verb/adjective): To be passionately engrossed/infatuated; passionate.

  • Anh ấy say mê nghiên cứu khoa học. (He is passionately engrossed in scientific research.)

• Say nắng (verb): To suffer from sunstroke.

• Say tàu xe (verb): To suffer from motion sickness.
• Say rượu (verb/adjective): To be/get drunk; drunken.

Synonyms

• Chếnh choáng: Tipsy, light-headed.
• Ngà ngà: Slightly drunk, buzzed.
• Mê đắm: To be enchanted/infatuated (for the passionate sense).
• Choáng váng: Dizzy, woozy (for the sick/dizzy sense).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Say sưa: To be intoxicated (often with alcohol); to be deeply immersed in an activity (figuratively).
  • Ông già say sưa kể chuyện ngày xưa. (The old man was deeply immersed in telling stories of the past.)

Related Idioms

• Say khướt: To be completely plastered, very drunk.

  • Sau cuộc nhậu, nó về nhà trong tình trạng say khướt. (After the drinking party, he went home completely plastered.)

• Say bí tỉ: To be dead to the world (from drinking); to be out cold.

  • Anh ta uống đến mức say bí tỉ. (He drank until he was out cold.)

adj

1. drunk, intoxicated, high
2. sick, prostrate
   • say nắng
     sunstroked
3. (như) say mê