đánh đắm
Definition
- Verb:
- To scuttle; to sink deliberately: The primary meaning of "đánh đắm" is the intentional act of causing a ship or vessel to sink, often by creating holes or opening seacocks to let water in. This is typically done to prevent capture, for insurance fraud, or as a tactical measure.
- To sink (a ship): A more general, though less common, usage meaning to cause a ship to go under the water, not necessarily specifying intent.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Thuyền trưởng ra lệnh đánh đắm con tàu để nó không rơi vào tay kẻ thù. (The captain ordered to scuttle the ship so it would not fall into enemy hands.)
- Bọn cướp biển đã đánh đắm chiếc thuyền sau khi cướp hết đồ. (The pirates sank the boat after looting everything.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is almost exclusively used in a nautical or military context. It implies a decisive, often destructive, action taken against a vessel.
- It can be used metaphorically in literature or speech to describe the deliberate ruin or destruction of a project, plan, or hope, though this is an extended figurative use.
Variants and Related Words
- Đánh chìm (v): To sink, to submerge. This is a more general term for sinking something and can be used for ships or other objects. It does not always carry the strong connotation of deliberate action that "đánh đắm" does.
- Một ngư lôi đã đánh chìm tàu khu trục. (A torpedo sank the destroyer.)
Synonyms
- Scuttle: To deliberately sink a ship by making holes in it.
- Sink: To cause to go below the surface of water.
- Sabotage (in this specific context): To deliberately destroy or damage, such as a vessel.
Related Idioms
- While "đánh đắm" itself is not commonly part of a fixed idiom, the action is central to historical and tactical phrases like "chính sách tiêu thổ" (scorched-earth policy) when applied to naval warfare, meaning to destroy one's own assets to deny them to the enemy.
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Sink (a ship)
