ngậm mõm
What does ngậm mõm mean? ngậm mõm is a Vietnamese strong that translates to “shut your trap / shut your snout” in English.
Literal Translation
shut snout
Meaning & Usage
"shut your trap / shut your snout"
Telling someone to shut their mouth, but using 'mõm' (an animal's snout) instead of 'miệng' (human mouth). You are commanding a barking dog to be quiet.
Examples in the Wild
A gang member demanding silence: 'Mày ngậm mõm lại cho tao!' (Shut your snout right now for me!)
Regional Variations
When to Use It
Context
- Informal settings where profanity is accepted
- Expressing strong frustration or emphasis
Avoid
- Professional or formal settings
- Around elders or authority figures
- Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations
Cultural Context
Using animal anatomy for human parts is a quick and effective way to insult someone in Vietnamese. This is an extremely aggressive dismissal. If 'im đi' is 'shut up', 'ngậm mõm' is 'shut your fucking trap before I hit you'. It's the language of street fights and pub brawls.
More in Vietnamese 🇻🇳
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đm
“fuck / wtf”
The texting abbreviation of 'đụ má.' Two letters that every Vietnamese person under 40 can decode instantly. It's become so ubiquitous in online spaces that it functions less as profanity and more as punctuation — surprise, frustration, emphasis, even approval.
xạo lồn
“bullshitting / talking out of your ass”
Lying, boasting, or fabricating stories to look impressive. 'Xạo' means lying/fake; 'lồn' is added purely as an aggressive metric of magnitude.
mẹ mày
“your mother / fuck you”
Just two words — 'your mother' — but in Vietnamese, this is a complete insult. You don't need to specify what about their mother. The implication hangs in the air, and everyone fills in the worst possible meaning. It's the loaded gun of Vietnamese profanity: the trigger is pulled by context.
địt mẹ
“motherfucker / fuck your mother”
Northern Vietnamese equivalent of 'đụ má.' Uses formal 'mẹ' instead of casual 'má,' making it more severe. The gravest insult in Vietnamese culture.
địt mẹ mày
“fuck your mother / motherfucker”
The full Northern form with the target pronoun attached. If 'địt mẹ' is a grenade, adding 'mày' is pulling the pin and throwing it directly at someone's face. This isn't venting frustration — this is declaring war.
vl
“holy shit / very / wow”
Texting abbreviation for 'vãi lồn.' Expresses surprise or intensity.
bố láo
“insolent / cocky piece of shit”
Someone who acts arrogantly above their station. It literally combines 'father' (bố) with 'insolent/fake' (láo), implying someone is illegitimately claiming the authority of a father figure.