Definition

1. Verb:
   • To stagger, to sway unsteadily: "chao đảo" describes the physical movement of something or someone losing balance, rocking, or tilting from side to side, often in an uncontrolled manner.
   • To waver, to falter: "chao đảo" can also describe a metaphorical state of being unstable, uncertain, or on the verge of collapse, such as in one's spirit, determination, or a situation.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Chiếc thuyền chao đảo trên sóng lớn. (The boat staggered on the big waves.)
  • Cô ấy cảm thấy tinh thần chao đảo sau tin xấu. (She felt her spirit wavering after the bad news.)
  • Nền kinh tế đang chao đảo vì khủng hoảng. (The economy is faltering because of the crisis.)

Advanced Usage

• "chao đảo trước...": to waver in the face of...
  • Anh ấy không chao đảo trước bất kỳ thử thách nào. (He does not waver in the face of any challenge.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chao (verb): to tilt, to dip (e.g., a plane).
• Đảo (verb): to turn over, to overturn.
• Chao nghiêng (verb): to tilt, to list (often used for ships/boats).
• Lao đao (verb): to be in a precarious, difficult, and unstable situation (often metaphorically).

Synonyms

• Lảo đảo (verb): to stagger, to totter (often for a person walking unsteadily).
• Chập chờn (verb): to flicker, to be unsteady (often for light or a state between sleep and wakefulness).
• Dao động (verb): to oscillate, to fluctuate (can be used for physical movement or abstract concepts like opinions/prices).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Related Idioms

• "Gió to sóng cả, thuyền chao đảo": Literally "Strong wind, big waves, the boat staggers." It describes a situation of great difficulty and instability.
• "Lòng người chao đảo": Literally "The human heart wavers." It refers to a state of emotional or moral uncertainty.

1. Stagger, waver