Definition

1. Verb (Intransitive):
   • To break (of a voice): To undergo the change in pitch and tone characteristic of puberty, when a young person's voice becomes deeper and less stable. This is a direct, natural process.
   • To crack (of a voice): To momentarily become hoarse or unstable in pitch, often due to emotion, strain, or illness, not necessarily related to puberty.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cậu bé 14 tuổi đang bắt đầu vỡ tiếng. (The 14-year-old boy is beginning to have his voice break.)
  • Giọng của anh ấy vỡ tiếng vì xúc động khi phát biểu. (His voice cracked with emotion during his speech.)
  • Sau khi ốm, cô ấy nói vẫn còn hơi vỡ tiếng. (After being sick, her voice is still a bit hoarse.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used to describe the specific biological milestone of puberty in boys, but it can apply to temporary voice changes in anyone.
• It can be used metaphorically to describe something new, raw, or unrefined emerging, though this is less common.

Variants and Related Words

• Vỡ giọng: A less common variant with the same meaning as .
• Đổi giọng: To change voice. This is a more general term for the voice change during puberty, focusing on the result rather than the process.

Synonyms

• To break (of a voice): The standard equivalent for the puberty-related change.
• To crack (of a voice): For a momentary, often emotional, instability.

Related Idioms

• Tuổi vỡ tiếng: The age when one's voice breaks; synonymous with puberty.
  • Nó đang ở cái tuổi vỡ tiếng nên hay ngại ngùng. (He is at that age where his voice is breaking, so he is often shy.)