ục
Definition
Onomatopoeia / Interjection:
- A dull, heavy sound: Represents the sound of something bursting, breaking, or collapsing suddenly, often with a low, muffled noise.
- A gurgling or bubbling sound: Represents the repetitive sound of liquid or gas escaping or flowing, like water draining or stomach rumbling.
Verb (colloquial, vulgar):
- To punch / to hit: To deliver a punch or a heavy blow with the fist.
- To fight / to brawl: To engage in a physical fight.
- To burst / to rupture suddenly: For something, like a dike or a container, to break open abruptly, releasing its contents.
Usage Examples
Onomatopoeia:
- Nó ngã xuống đất nghe tiếng ục. (He fell to the ground with a thud.)
- Bụng tôi kêu ùng ục. (My stomach is making gurgling noises.)
Verb:
- Nó ục cho thằng kia mấy quả. (He punched that guy a few times.)
- Hai đứa trẻ đang ục nhau. (The two kids are fighting.)
- Con đê bị ục. (The dike burst.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is often reduplicated (ùng ục, ục ục) to describe continuous or repetitive gurgling, bubbling, or rumbling sounds.
- Nước chảy ùng ục từ trong ống. (Water flowed with a gurgle from the pipe.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ùng ục (onomatopoeia): Describes a continuous gurgling or rumbling sound.
- Tiếng nước sôi ùng ục. (The sound of water boiling gurgling.)
Synonyms
- Thud: A dull, heavy sound.
- Gurgle: A bubbling sound.
- Punch: To strike with a fist.
- Burst: To break open suddenly.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Ục ịch (onomatopoeia/adjective): Describes something heavy, clumsy, or making squelching/sloshing sounds, often related to mud or a heavy gait.
- Đi qua vũng lầy nghe tiếng ục ịch. (Walking through the muddy puddle made squelching sounds.)