Definition

1. Verb:
   • To rustle; to stir; to be agitated: Describes a light, often gentle, movement or disturbance, typically caused by wind or water. It implies a soft sound or visible motion, like leaves moving in a breeze or water rippling.
   • To be unsettled; to be perturbed: Used figuratively to describe a state of emotional disturbance or disquiet within one's mind or heart.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Lá cây xao động trong gió. (The leaves rustled in the wind.)
  • Lòng tôi bỗng thấy xao xuyến. (My heart suddenly felt perturbed.)
  • Mặt hồ xao gợn vì gió. (The lake surface rippled because of the wind.)

Advanced Usage

• "xao xác": to rustle noisily; describes a more pronounced, often chaotic, rustling sound.

  • Tiếng lá khô xao xác trong đêm. (The sound of dry leaves rustling noisily in the night.)

• "xao xuyến": to be emotionally stirred; to feel a flutter of emotion (e.g., nostalgia, excitement, anxiety).

  • Cô ấy xao xuyến khi nghe tin. (She was emotionally stirred upon hearing the news.)

Variants and Related Words

• Xao động (v): to be in motion; to be agitated (can be physical or emotional).

  • Tình hình chính trị đang xao động. (The political situation is agitated.)

• Xao lãng (v): to be distracted; to have one's attention diverted.

  • Đừng để bị xao lãng khỏi mục tiêu. (Don't be distracted from the goal.)

Synonyms

• Rustle: to make a soft, muffled sound like leaves.
• Stir: to cause slight movement.
• Ripple: to form small waves on water.
• Perturb: to disturb mentally or emotionally.

Related Idioms

• Lòng dạ xao xuyến: A troubled or fluttering heart; a state of emotional unrest.

  • Chờ đợi tin tức khiến lòng dạ cô ấy xao xuyến. (Waiting for news made her heart flutter with anxiety.)

• Gió xao cành biếc: The wind rustles the green branches (a poetic description of nature).

  • Trong khu vườn yên tĩnh, chỉ có tiếng gió xao cành biếc. (In the quiet garden, there was only the sound of the wind rustling the green branches.)