ngứa
[ŋɨə˧˦]
The English word "itch" is translated into Vietnamese as ngứa.
The word ngứa is used to describe both a physical sensation and the act of feeling the need to scratch.
Meaning: a sensation felt on an area of the skin that causes a person or animal to want to scratch (noun)
Related words
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese slang, calling someone ngứa can be a provocative way of saying they are asking for a fight or deserve to be hit.
- When someone is being overly meddlesome or provocative, a Vietnamese speaker might say they have ngứa miệng, meaning their 'mouth is itching' to speak.
- The word ngứa shares an ancient root with the word lönga in the Koho language, which specifically refers to 'itching between toes'.
Examples in context
- Trên tay tôi có một cảm giác ngứaI have an itchy feeling on my hand.
- Tay tôi đang ngứaMy hand is itching.
- Tôi bị ngứa ở cánh tay.I have an itch on my arm.
- Cơn ngứa này thật khó chịu.This itch is very uncomfortable.
- Chân tôi bị ngứa quá.My leg is so itchy.
Example conversation
Hùng and Hương are sitting together in a living room.
- HùngHương ơi, tay em có bị ngứa không?Huong, does your hand itch?
- HươngVâng, em thấy ngứa ở lòng bàn tay.Yes, I feel an itch in my palm.
- HùngCó lẽ là do dị ứng rồi.Maybe it is because of an allergy.
- HươngĐể em đi bôi thuốc xem sao.Let me go apply some medicine and see.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “itch” translations and entries ngứa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ngứa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
