xiết
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb:
- To tighten: To make something tighter by applying force, often by twisting or pulling.
- To rub forcefully: To move an object with strong pressure across a surface, often to create friction.
- To flow rapidly and violently: Used to describe water or a current moving with great speed and force.
- To seize assets for debt: To take someone's property as compensation for an unpaid debt.
- To be able to (used in negative constructions): To have the capacity to do something completely or thoroughly, often used with "không" (not) to mean "cannot possibly..."
Adverb/Particle:
- Extremely, utterly (often following a verb): Used to emphasize the extreme degree of an action or state, frequently in negative or exclamatory phrases.
Usage Examples
Verb (To tighten):
- Anh ấy xiết chặt đai ốc. (He tightened the nut firmly.)
- Xiết dây an toàn vào. (Tighten the seatbelt.)
Verb (To rub forcefully):
- Xiết que diêm lên vỏ hộp. (Strike the match against the matchbox.)
- Bánh xe xiết trên đường nhựa khi phanh gấp. (The tire screeched on the asphalt during sudden braking.)
Verb (To flow rapidly):
- Dòng nước chảy xiết sau cơn bão. (The water flowed swiftly after the storm.)
- Nước lũ cuồn cuộn chảy xiết. (The floodwaters surged and flowed violently.)
Verb (To seize for debt):
- Chủ nợ đến xiết nhà của họ. (The creditor came to seize their house for the debt.)
- Luật pháp cho phép xiết tài sản để trừ nợ. (The law allows for the seizure of assets to settle a debt.)
Verb/Adverb (To be able to / Extremely):
- Nỗi buồn không kể xiết. (The sorrow is indescribable / cannot be fully told.)
- Cảnh đẹp không tả xiết. (The scenery is indescribably beautiful.)
Advanced Usage
"Không ... xiết": A common negative construction meaning "cannot possibly..." or "inexpressibly...". It emphasizes an extreme degree.
- Vui mừng không tả xiết. (Inexpressibly happy.)
- Anh ấy đau đớn không chịu xiết. (He was in unbearable pain.)
"Xiết bao" / "Xiết chi" (literary): Interjections meaning "How...!" or "What a...!", expressing strong emotion.
- Xiết bao cảm động! (How touching!)
- Xiết chi là thương tâm! (What a heartbreak!)
Variants and Related Words
- Siết: A common variant with identical meanings, especially for "to tighten" or "to constrict".
- Siết chặt vòng tay. (To tighten an embrace.)
- Thắt xiết: To tighten or constrict severely.
- Chảy xiết: To flow swiftly and violently (of water).
Synonyms
- Thắt chặt (to tighten): To make something tight or to constrict.
- Cọ xát (to rub): To move something back and forth against a surface.
- Cuồn cuộn (to surge): To move in a powerful, rolling manner (for water).
- Tịch biên (to confiscate): To seize property by authority, often legally.
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
- Xiết nợ: To seize assets for debt; to foreclose.
- Công ty cho vay đe dọa sẽ xiết nợ. (The loan company threatened to seize assets for the debt.)
- Xiết chặt: To tighten firmly; to strengthen control.
- Chính phủ xiết chặt quy định nhập cảnh. (The government tightened entry regulations.)
Related Idioms
- Kể không xiết: Too numerous to count; innumerable.
- Những khó khăn ban đầu kể không xiết. (The initial difficulties were too many to count.)
- Chịu không xiết: Unbearable; cannot endure.
- Áp lực công việc chịu không xiết. (The work pressure is unbearable.)