Definition

1. Verb:

   • To empty a barrel/tank: The literal meaning refers to the act of emptying the contents of a barrel, vat, or tank.
   • To pump out / to drain: Specifically used for draining waste or liquid from a septic tank, waste barrel, or similar container.

2. Verb (colloquial):

   • To dump / to spill the beans: A figurative and common slang meaning, referring to the act of confessing, revealing a secret, or divulging private information, often all at once.

Usage Examples

• Verb (literal):

  • Họ phải đổ thùng nước thải mỗi tháng. (They have to pump out the waste tank every month.)
  • Xe chuyên dụng dùng để đổ thùng. (A specialized vehicle is used to empty the tanks.)

• Verb (figurative, slang):

  • Anh ta đã đổ thùng mọi bí mật với cảnh sát. (He spilled all the secrets to the police.)
  • Đừng tin cô ấy, cô ấy sẽ đổ thùng hết chuyện của bạn. (Don't trust her; she'll spill all your business.)

Advanced Usage

• The figurative use is dominant in everyday conversation. It implies a sudden, complete, and often indiscreet revelation of information that was meant to be hidden.

Variants and Related Words

• Đổ bể (v): A similar slang term meaning to have a secret exposed or a plan fail due to disclosure.
  • Kế hoạch đã đổ bể vì ai đó đổ thùng. (The plan failed because someone spilled the beans.)

Synonyms

• To confess: To admit to something.
• To reveal: To make previously unknown information known.
• To blab: To reveal secrets carelessly or thoughtlessly.
• To drain: To remove liquid (for the literal sense).

Related Idioms

• Đổ thùng đổ bể: An intensified phrase emphasizing a major confession or leak of multiple secrets.
  • Sau khi bị bắt, tên tội phạm đổ thùng đổ bể. (After being caught, the criminal confessed to everything.)