Definition

1. Noun (Zoology):

   • Seahorse: A small, upright-swimming marine fish (genus Hippocampus) characterized by a head and neck resembling those of a horse, a prehensile tail, and a body covered in bony plates. The male carries the fertilized eggs in a brood pouch.
   • Dried Seahorse (for medicine): The dried body of this animal, used in traditional medicine, particularly in East Asian pharmacopeia.

2. Noun (Gambling):

   • Horse race betting: The act or practice of placing bets on the outcome of horse races.
   • A bet on a horse race: A specific wager placed on a horse race.

3. Noun (Game):

   • A dice game: A traditional Vietnamese board game where players roll dice to move wooden horse pieces along a track in a simulated race.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Zoology):

  • Cá ngựa là một trong những loài cá có hình dáng kỳ lạ nhất. (The seahorse is one of the most peculiarly shaped fish.)
  • Ông ấy mua cá ngựa khô về ngâm rượu thuốc. (He bought dried seahorse to steep in medicinal wine.)

• Noun (Gambling):

  • Anh ta mất rất nhiều tiền vì cá ngựa. (He lost a lot of money on horse race betting.)
  • Hôm nay tôi đặt một con cá ngựa vào con ngựa số 3. (Today I placed a bet on horse number 3.)

• Noun (Game):

  • Trẻ con thường chơi cá ngựa vào dịp Tết. (Children often play the seahorse dice game during Tet holiday.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "chơi cá ngựa" is ambiguous and its meaning depends entirely on context. It can mean:
  • To play the traditional board/dice game.
  • (Colloquial) To engage in horse race gambling.

Variants and Related Words

• Hải mã: (Noun) A more formal, Sino-Vietnamese term for "seahorse," often used in scientific or formal contexts.
• Đánh cá ngựa: (Verb phrase) Specifically means to gamble on horse races.
• Cá ngựa thuốc: (Noun phrase) Refers specifically to seahorses used for medicinal purposes.

Synonyms

• Seahorse: sea horse, hippocampus (scientific).
• Horse race betting: horse gambling, wagering on horses.
• The dice game: The horse-racing board game.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Nghiện cá ngựa: To be addicted to horse race gambling.
  • Cả gia sản tiêu tan vì nghiện cá ngựa. (The entire fortune was lost due to an addiction to horse betting.)
• Sắc cá ngựa: Refers to the brownish or yellowish color of a dried seahorse, sometimes used to describe a similar dull color.

1. Seahorse
   • Cá Hải Mã (Sea Horse)
     Bet in horse-races
   • chơi cá ngựa
     to play at horse-racing game (with dices)