ca-nô
Definition
- Noun:
- Motorboat, powerboat: A small, fast boat propelled by an internal combustion engine or motor. It is typically used for recreation, sport, or short-distance transport on rivers, lakes, or coastal waters.
- Canoe (archaic/contextual): In some historical or specific contexts, it can refer to a light, narrow boat, such as a canoe or small rowboat. However, the primary modern meaning is "motorboat."
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Gia đình tôi thuê một chiếc ca-nô để tham quan vịnh. (My family rented a motorboat to tour the bay.)
- Tiếng động cơ ca-nô vang lên trên mặt hồ. (The sound of the motorboat engine echoed across the lake surface.)
- Anh ấy đang sửa chiếc ca-nô cũ. (He is repairing the old motorboat.)
Advanced Usage
- "Đi ca-nô": To go by motorboat, to take a motorboat trip.
- Chúng tôi dự định đi ca-nô ra đảo vào sáng mai. (We plan to go by motorboat to the island tomorrow morning.)
Variants and Related Words
- Thuyền máy: A more general term for a boat with an engine, often used interchangeably with "ca-nô" but can refer to larger engine-powered boats.
- Xuồng máy: A smaller, often open, motorized boat or launch.
- Tàu cao tốc: High-speed boat or ferry (a larger, faster passenger vessel).
- Canô (alternate spelling): A common variant spelling without the hyphen.
Synonyms
- Motorboat: The direct English equivalent.
- Powerboat: Emphasizes the engine power.
- Launch: A small motorboat used to ferry people from shore to a larger vessel.
Related Phrases
- Lái ca-nô: To drive/operate a motorboat.
- Anh ấy học lái ca-nô từ rất sớm. (He learned to drive a motorboat from a very young age.)
- Bến ca-nô: Motorboat pier/dock.
- Hãy gặp tôi ở bến ca-nô lúc 8 giờ. (Meet me at the motorboat dock at 8 o'clock.)
Notes on Usage
- The word "ca-nô" is a loanword, adapted from the French word "canot" (meaning small boat, canoe). In modern Vietnamese, its primary meaning has shifted to "motorboat."
- While the historical reference from Vietnamese-French dictionaries includes "chaloupe" (launch) and the example of traveling to Nam Định by boat, the contemporary usage is almost exclusively for engine-powered recreational or transport boats, not for canoes or rowboats under human power. The term "canoe" in modern English is typically translated as "ca-nô" only in specific historical or literary contexts; otherwise, "xuồng" or "thuyền độc mộc" are more accurate.