Definition

1. Verb:
   • To draw lots: To decide something by a method involving chance, such as picking a piece of paper, a stick, or another object from a container. This is a fair way to make a random selection among people.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Chúng tôi sẽ bắt thăm để chọn đội chơi trước. (We will draw lots to choose the team that plays first.)
  • Ai bắt thăm trúng tờ giấy đỏ sẽ là người chiến thắng. (Whoever draws the red paper will be the winner.)
  • Họ bắt thăm để phân chia công việc. (They drew lots to divide the work.)

Advanced Usage

• The process of "bắt thăm" is often used in formal settings like sports tournaments to determine fixtures, or in community events to ensure impartiality.
• It implies a sense of fate or luck deciding the outcome, removing human bias from the selection.

Variants and Related Words

• Rút thăm (v): This is a more common synonym in modern Vietnamese, also meaning to draw lots or to pick a lottery ticket.
  • Mỗi người tham dự sẽ rút một lá thăm. (Each participant will draw one lot.)

Synonyms

• Draw lots: The direct equivalent.
• Draw straws: A specific method of drawing lots using straws of different lengths.
• Cast lots: A more formal or traditional term for deciding by chance.

Related Idioms

• While "bắt thăm" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, the concept is central to the saying:
  • Số trời đã định: (Heaven's will is decided.) This reflects the idea of fate, similar to the chance outcome of drawing lots.

verb

1. To draw lots