Definition

1. Intransitive Verb:

   • To swing gently back and forth: Refers to a rhythmic, often leisurely, to-and-fro motion, typically while suspended or pivoted.
   • To sway: Describes a smooth, rocking, or oscillating movement, often from side to side.

2. Transitive Verb:

   • To swing something gently: To cause an object to move rhythmically back and forth.

Usage Examples

• Intransitive Verb:

  • Chiếc võng đu đưa trong gió. (The hammock swings/sways in the wind.)
  • Những cành cây đu đưa nhẹ nhàng. (The tree branches sway gently.)
  • Đứa trẻ thích ngồi trên xích đu và đu đưa. (The child likes to sit on the swing and swing.)

• Transitive Verb:

  • Cô ấy đu đưa đứa bé trên tay. (She rocks the baby in her arms.)
  • Anh ta đu đưa chiếc lắc tay. (He swings the bracelet back and forth.)

Advanced Usage

• "đu đưa theo điệu nhạc": to sway to the music.

  • Mọi người đu đưa theo điệu nhạc. (Everyone swayed to the music.)

• Used metaphorically to indicate hesitation or indecision.

  • Anh ấy cứ đu đưa mãi, không đưa ra được quyết định. (He kept wavering, unable to make a decision.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đu (verb/noun): To swing; a swing. Often implies a more active or forceful swinging motion.

  • Đu dây (to swing on a rope)

• Lắc lư (verb): To sway, to rock. Can imply a looser, sometimes more unsteady, side-to-side motion.

  • Lắc lư người theo nhạc (to sway one's body to the music)

Synonyms

• Lắc: To shake (can be more abrupt).
• Nghiêng ngả: To tilt, to lean from side to side.
• Dao động: To oscillate, to fluctuate (more technical, can be used for abstract concepts like opinions).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As a single verb, 'đu đưa' itself is not typically broken into phrasal verbs in Vietnamese. Its meaning is contained within the word.

Related Idioms

• Đu đưa như con lắc đồng hồ: To swing like a pendulum.

  • Chiếc võng đu đưa như con lắc đồng hồ. (The hammock swings like a pendulum.)

• Đầu óc đu đưa: (Figurative) A mind that is indecisive or wavering.

  • Đừng có đầu óc đu đưa như thế, hãy quyết định đi. (Don't have such a wavering mind, make a decision.)

verb

1. to seving, to sway