xẹt

Đạn xẹt qua đầu người lính trong chiến hào.

Definition

1. Verb:

   • To whiz/zip by: To move or pass very quickly, often with a light, sharp, hissing or whistling sound.
   • To spark/to spurt: To emit a sudden, brief burst or jet of something, like sparks or flame.

2. Onomatopoeia:

   • A word that imitates the sharp, hissing sound associated with something moving at high speed or a brief spark igniting.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Viên đạn xẹt qua tai anh ta. (The bullet whizzed past his ear.)
  • Anh ấy quẹt que diêm, lửa xẹt ra. (He struck the match, and fire sparked out.)
  • Chiếc xe máy xẹt qua trước mặt tôi. (The motorbike zipped past in front of me.)

Advanced Usage

• "xẹt qua": To flash through (one's mind).

  • Một ý nghĩ xẹt qua đầu cô ấy. (A thought flashed through her mind.)

• "tia xẹt": A spark; a brief electrical discharge.

  • Có tia xẹt giữa hai đầu dây. (There was a spark between the two wire ends.)

Variants and Related Words

• Xẹt xẹt (onomatopoeia): A reduplicated form emphasizing repeated or continuous zipping or sparking sounds.
  • Những viên đạn bay nghe tiếng xẹt xẹt. (The flying bullets made zipping sounds.)

Synonyms

• Whiz: To move quickly with a buzzing or hissing sound.
• Zip: To move very swiftly.
• Spark: To emit sparks.
• Flash: To appear or pass suddenly and quickly.

Related Idioms

• Xẹt như chớp: To be as fast as lightning.
  • Cậu ấy chạy xẹt như chớp. (He ran as fast as lightning.)