Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To swing one's arms (while walking): To move one's arms freely back and forth in a relaxed manner while walking, typically without holding anything.

Usage

• This phrase is used to describe the specific action of swinging one's arms during the act of walking. It often implies a relaxed, carefree, or idle posture.
• It is a descriptive phrase, not a command. It is typically used in third-person narratives or observations.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Anh ấy đi bộ trong công viên, đánh đàng xa. (He walks in the park, swinging his arms.)
  • Thằng bé chạy ra đồng, hai tay đánh đàng xa. (The boy ran to the field, his arms swinging.)
  • Cô ấy thích đi bộ buổi sáng và đánh đàng xa cho thoải mái. (She likes to walk in the morning and swing her arms to feel relaxed.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase can sometimes carry a subtle connotation of having nothing to do, being idle, or walking without a clear purpose, as the hands are empty and not engaged in any task.
  • Cả ngày chỉ thấy nó đi loanh quanh, tay đánh đàng xa. (All day, he's just seen wandering around, swinging his arms.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đi thong thả: To stroll, to walk leisurely. (This describes the walking pace, while "đánh đàng xa" focuses on the arm movement.)
• Khoanh tay: To fold one's arms. (This is the opposite action, implying waiting, observing, or not participating.)

Synonyms

• Vung tay: To swing one's arm(s). (This is a more general term for the arm-swinging motion and is not exclusively tied to walking.)
• Đi tay không: To go empty-handed. (This focuses on carrying nothing, which is often the case when one is "đánh đàng xa," but it does not describe the arm movement itself.)

Related Phrases

• Tay đánh đàng xa: A noun phrase meaning "arms swinging idly." This is a common collocation.
  • Với dáng đi thong thả và tay đánh đàng xa, trông anh ta rất thư thái. (With a leisurely walk and arms swinging idly, he looks very relaxed.)

1. Swing one's arms (while walking)