Definition

1. Noun:
   • Porpoise: A small, toothed whale with a blunt snout, belonging to the family Phocoenidae. They are typically smaller and stockier than dolphins.
   • Dolphin: In common Vietnamese usage, "cá heo" is also widely used to refer to dolphins (family Delphinidae), which usually have longer, beak-like snouts. This reflects general, non-scientific language.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Tôi đã thấy một con cá heo nhảy lên khỏi mặt nước. (I saw a dolphin jump out of the water.)
  • Cá heo chuột là một loài cá heo nhỏ sống ở vùng biển Việt Nam. (The finless porpoise is a small porpoise species living in the seas of Vietnam.)
  • Công viên hải dương có một show biểu diễn của cá heo. (The ocean park has a dolphin show.)

Advanced Usage

• In marine biology contexts, the distinction between "porpoise" (cá heo thật sự/ cá heo chuột) and "dolphin" (cá heo mũi chai) is important. However, in everyday Vietnamese, "cá heo" typically means "dolphin."

Variants and Related Words

• Cá heo mũi chai (n): Bottlenose dolphin. The most common dolphin species known for its intelligence.

  • Cá heo mũi chai có thể học nhiều mệnh lệnh. (Bottlenose dolphins can learn many commands.)

• Cá heo chuột (n): Finless porpoise. A porpoise species lacking a dorsal fin.

  • Cá heo chuột thường sống ở vùng nước nông. (Finless porpoises often live in shallow waters.)

Synonyms

• Dolphin: A marine mammal known for its intelligence and playful behavior (common general synonym in Vietnamese usage).
• Porpoise: A related marine mammal, generally smaller and with a different snout shape (more precise biological synonym).

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Thông minh như cá heo: As smart as a dolphin. Used to compliment someone's intelligence.
  • Đứa bé đó giải toán nhanh, thông minh như cá heo vậy. (That child solves math quickly, (he's) as smart as a dolphin.)

1. Porpoise