chạy hiệu

Thân thiện

Trong dự án lớn đó, anh ta chỉ được giao việc chạy hiệu, in ấn tài liệu và pha cà phê.

Definition

1. Verb (từ cũ, thông tục):
   • To play a secondary role; to play second fiddle: To perform a minor, supporting, or insignificant role in a situation, organization, or activity, without holding a primary or important position.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Trong dự án đó, anh ta chỉ chạy hiệu cho giám đốc. (In that project, he only played second fiddle to the director.)
  • Công ty lớn thường có nhiều nhân viên chạy hiệu. (Large companies often have many employees playing secondary roles.)
  • Hắn ta không muốn mãi mãi chạy hiệu cho người khác. (He doesn't want to forever play a secondary role for others.)

Advanced Usage

• The term chạy hiệu originates from the performing arts, specifically traditional theater (like , ), where it referred to actors playing minor, non-speaking roles or assistants to main characters. Its usage has expanded metaphorically to any field (business, politics, daily life) to describe someone in a subordinate or insignificant position.
• It carries a slightly negative or dismissive connotation, often implying the role is unimportant, lacks autonomy, or is merely supportive without real power or recognition.

Variants and Related Words

• Vai phụ (n): Supporting role. (A more neutral, modern term for a secondary role, especially in film/theater.)
• Phụ tá (n/v): Assistant; to assist. (Focuses on the assisting function, less colloquial and negative than .)
• Đóng vai thứ yếu: To play a minor role. (A descriptive phrase similar in meaning.)

Synonyms

• Làm tay sai: To be a henchman; to do the bidding of someone else. (Stronger negative connotation, implies being used for potentially bad deeds.)
• Đi theo hầu: To follow and serve. (Emphasizes the servile aspect.)
• Giữ vai trò thứ cấp: To hold a secondary role. (More formal and descriptive.)

Related Phrases

• Chỉ là kẻ chạy hiệu: To be merely a subordinate/underling.
  • Hắn chẳng có quyền hành gì, chỉ là kẻ chạy hiệu mà thôi. (He has no authority, he's just an underling.)

Related Idioms

• Làm bình phong: To act as a front; to be a figurehead. (Different nuance: implies being used to conceal the true actor or intention, but also denotes a non-central role.)
• Vai tuồng không tên: A nameless role/character. (Emphasizes complete lack of recognition or importance, often used in theater but applicable metaphorically.)

Học thuật

1. (từ cũ, thông tục) Play a secondary role, play second fiddle