xo vai
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To shrug one's shoulders: The primary meaning of "xo vai" is to rotate or move one's shoulders in a shrugging motion, often to express indifference, ignorance, or helplessness.
- To have gaunt/shrugged shoulders: Describes the physical state of having thin, bony, or hunched shoulders, suggesting poor health, fatigue, or a cowering posture.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Anh ấy chỉ biết xo vai và lắc đầu. (He could only shrug his shoulders and shake his head.)
- Sau trận ốm, nó xo vai rõ thấy. (After the illness, his shoulders became noticeably gaunt.)
- Cứ hỏi là nó xo vai, không chịu trả lời. (Every time you ask, he just shrugs, refusing to answer.)
Advanced Usage
- "xo vai rụt cổ": A descriptive phrase meaning "to have one's neck sunk into the shoulders," depicting a posture of fear, cold, or submissiveness.
- Đứa bé xo vai rụt cổ vì lạnh. (The child hunched his shoulders and sunk his neck in because of the cold.)
Variants and Related Words
- Nhún vai (verb phrase): to shrug (one's shoulders). Often used interchangeably with "xo vai" for the gesture of shrugging.
- Cô ấy nhún vai tỏ vẻ không biết. (She shrugged to show she didn't know.)
Synonyms
- Shrug: to raise and contract the shoulders to express indifference or doubt.
- Have hunched shoulders: to have shoulders bent forward in a rounded posture.
- Have gaunt shoulders: to have thin and bony shoulders.
Related Idioms
- Xo vai rụt cổ: This is a fixed idiom describing a physical posture where the shoulders are hunched and the neck is pulled in, often due to fear, cold, or a lack of confidence.
- Nó đứng xo vai rụt cổ trước mặt ông chủ. (He stood with hunched shoulders and a sunk neck in front of the boss.)