Definition

1. Noun:
   • Pinwheel: A simple toy, typically made of paper or plastic, with blades or vanes that spin around when blown by the wind.
   • Propeller: A mechanical device with blades that rotate to create thrust, such as for propelling an aircraft or boat.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Pinwheel): Đứa trẻ cầm chiếc chong chóng màu đỏ chạy trong gió. (The child ran in the wind holding a red pinwheel.) Chong chóng giấy quay tít trước cửa hàng. (The paper pinwheel spun rapidly in front of the store.)

• Noun (Propeller): Chong chóng máy bay bị hỏng phải thay thế. (The airplane's propeller was damaged and had to be replaced.) Tiếng chong chóng tàu thủy nghe rất ồn. (The sound of the ship's propeller is very loud.)

Advanced Usage

• "quay như chong chóng": To spin or whirl very fast, like a pinwheel; often used metaphorically to describe being very busy or dizzy. Một ngày làm việc khiến đầu tôi quay như chong chóng. (A day of work made my head spin like a pinwheel.)

• "thay đổi như chong chóng": To change (one's mind, opinion, direction) frequently and unpredictably, like a weather vane (a related concept from the French "girouette"). Chính sách của họ thay đổi như chong chóng. (Their policies change like a weather vane.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cánh quạt (n): Blade, fan blade. Often refers to the blades of a fan or propeller. Cánh quạt máy bay được làm từ vật liệu siêu bền. (The airplane's propeller blades are made from super-durable material.)

• Tuốc-bin (n): Turbine. A machine for producing continuous power, different from a simple propeller.

• Cối xay gió (n): Windmill. A structure with sails or vanes that are turned by the wind.

Synonyms

• Đồ chơi quay gió: Wind-spinning toy (for the pinwheel meaning).
• Cánh quạt đẩy: Thrust propeller (for the mechanical meaning).

Related Phrases

(Note: "Chong chóng" is a noun and does not form phrasal verbs in Vietnamese. The related phrases are idiomatic expressions.)

Related Idioms

• "Đầu quay như chong chóng": Head spinning like a pinwheel; feeling very dizzy or overwhelmed. Nghe tin đó, đầu cô ấy quay như chong chóng. (Upon hearing that news, her head was spinning.)

• "Chạy như chong chóng": To run around busily and incessantly. Sáng nay tôi chạy như chong chóng để hoàn thành công việc. (This morning I ran around like crazy to finish the work.)

noun

1. Pinwheel
2. Propeller