tâng hẩng
Definition
- Adjective:
- Baffled, bewildered, or nonplussed: A state of being caught off guard, surprised, or left momentarily speechless and unsure how to react, often due to an unexpected event, remark, or outcome.
- Dumbfounded or taken aback: Feeling a sudden sense of confusion or slight embarrassment when something does not go as anticipated, leaving one in an awkward pause.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Nghe tin đó, anh ta đứng tâng hẩng một lúc lâu. (Hearing that news, he stood baffled for a long while.)
- Câu hỏi bất ngờ làm cô ấy tâng hẩng, không biết trả lời thế nào. (The sudden question left her nonplussed, not knowing how to answer.)
- Kế hoạch đổ vỡ, cả nhóm nhìn nhau tâng hẩng. (The plan collapsed, and the whole group looked at each other, dumbfounded.)
Advanced Usage
- This word often describes a temporary, reactive state of mind. It emphasizes the moment of suspension between the surprise and the formulation of a response.
Variants and Related Words
- Chưng hửng: (adjective) This is the more standard synonym for tâng hẩng, with identical meaning and usage. is sometimes noted as a regional variant.
- Bị từ chối phũ phàng, nó đứng chưng hửng. (Being bluntly rejected, he stood there taken aback.)
Synonyms
- Bewildered: perplexed and confused.
- Nonplussed: so surprised and confused that one is unsure how to react.
- Dumbfounded: greatly astonished or amazed.
- Taken aback: surprised and disconcerted.
Related Idioms
- Đứng hình: (slang, verb phrase) "To freeze like a picture"; a more modern, colloquial term for being shocked into momentary inactivity, similar to being .
- Phát biểu của cô ấy khiến mọi người "đứng hình". (Her statement made everyone freeze in shock.)