ứa gan
Definition
- Adjective:
- To be extremely angry, furious, or enraged: Describes a state of intense anger that feels as if it is boiling or swelling inside one's liver (gan), which in traditional Vietnamese belief is associated with emotion and temperament.
- To be irritated or exasperated: Can describe a strong feeling of annoyance or frustration.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Nghe tin đó, tôi ứa gan lắm. (Hearing that news, I was absolutely furious.)
- Hành động của hắn khiến mọi người ứa gan. (His actions made everyone seethe with anger.)
- Cứ phải chờ đợi mãi thật là ứa gan. (Having to wait forever is so exasperating.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used to emphasize a visceral, physical reaction to anger, as if the anger is causing a bodily fluid to well up ("ứa") in the liver.
Variants and Related Words
- Tức gan (adj): to be angry, to have one's liver feel tight/constrained. A very close synonym with a similar metaphorical basis.
- Lời nói của anh ta khiến tôi tức gan. (His words made my blood boil.)
Synonyms
- Furious: Full of wild or violent anger.
- Enraged: Very angry; filled with rage.
- Exasperated: Intensely irritated and frustrated.
Related Idioms
Nóng gan (lit. hot liver): to be quick-tempered or easily angered.
- Anh đừng có nóng gan vì chuyện nhỏ. (Don't get so hot-headed over a small matter.)
Tức nổ đom đóm mắt (lit. angry until seeing fireflies): to be so angry one sees stars.
- Tôi tức đến nổ đom đóm mắt. (I was so angry I saw stars.)