bóp cò
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To pull the trigger: The primary meaning of "bóp cò" is the physical action of using one's finger to press the trigger of a firearm, causing it to discharge.
- To fire / to shoot: By extension, it refers to the act of shooting a gun by initiating the trigger mechanism.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase: (He hesitated for a moment before pulling the trigger.) (The police commanded: "Put the gun down! Don't pull the trigger!") (Pulling the trigger is not as simple as in the movies.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase can be used metaphorically to describe initiating a decisive or irreversible action. (The director gave the green light [lit. pulled the trigger] for the new project.)
Variants and Related Words
- Nổ súng (v): to open fire, to start shooting. This emphasizes the shooting event rather than the trigger action. (The soldiers were ordered to open fire.)
Synonyms
- Pull the trigger: to press the trigger of a gun.
- Squeeze the trigger: an alternative way to describe the same action.
- Fire: to discharge a weapon.
Related Idioms
- Đến nước ấy thì chỉ còn cách bóp cò: A saying implying that when a situation reaches a certain extreme point, the only option left is to take drastic, often violent, action. (The dispute escalated; at that point, there was no choice but to pull the trigger.)