Definition

1. Verb:
   • To open (one's eyes) wide: To widen one's eyes, typically due to a strong emotion such as surprise, astonishment, or fear.
   • To stare with wide-open eyes: To look at something with eyes opened widely in a fixed gaze, often indicating shock, disbelief, or intense curiosity.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cậu bé trố mắt nhìn con robot. (The boy opened his eyes wide looking at the robot.)
  • Cô ấy trố mắt vì ngạc nhiên. (She stared wide-eyed in surprise.)
  • Đừng có trố mắt nhìn người ta như thế! (Don't stare at people with your eyes wide open like that!)

Advanced Usage

• The verb "trố" is almost exclusively used in the fixed phrase "trố mắt" (to open one's eyes wide). It is rarely used alone.
• "trô trố": A reduplicated form for emphasis, meaning to stare with perfectly round, wide-open eyes, often for a prolonged period.
  • Nó ngồi trô trố nhìn màn hình. (He sat there staring with wide, round eyes at the screen.)

Variants and Related Words

• Trố mắt (v): The standard compound phrase meaning to gawk, to gape, or to stare wide-eyed.
• Tròn mắt (v): A related phrase meaning to be wide-eyed with surprise, sometimes used similarly.

Synonyms

• To gape: To stare with one's mouth open, often in surprise.
• To gawk: To stare openly and stupidly.
• To stare: To look fixedly with wide eyes.

Related Idioms

• Trố mắt trố mũi: An intensified idiom meaning to be utterly flabbergasted or dumbfounded, with eyes and mouth agape in astonishment.
  • Tin đó làm mọi người trố mắt trố mũi. (That news made everyone utterly dumbfounded.)