Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To run very quickly, to dash, to sprint: "chạy vụt" describes the action of running at a very high speed, often suddenly or for a short burst, like a dart or a streak. It implies a swift, fleeting movement.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Thấy chó, con mèo chạy vụt vào trong bụi cây. (Seeing the dog, the cat dashed into the bushes.)
  • Đứa bé chạy vụt qua đường mà không nhìn trước sau. (The child darted across the street without looking.)
  • Chiếc xe máy chạy vụt qua trước mặt tôi. (The motorbike sped past in front of me.)

Advanced Usage

• "chạy vụt đi": to dash away, to run off quickly.

  • Nghe thấy tiếng động lạ, nó chạy vụt đi mất. (Hearing a strange noise, it dashed away and disappeared.)

• "chạy vụt đến": to come dashing/rushing over.

  • Nghe tiếng gọi, cậu bé chạy vụt đến bên mẹ. (Hearing the call, the boy came dashing over to his mother.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chạy (verb): to run. The core verb.
• Vụt (adverb/verb): can mean to flash, to streak, or to whip. It emphasizes suddenness and speed.
• Chạy nhanh (verb phrase): to run fast. A more general term.
• Phóng (verb): to shoot, to dash, to speed. Similar in meaning but can imply more force.
• Lao (verb): to plunge, to lunge, to rush. Often implies running headlong.

Synonyms

• Phóng đi: to shoot off, to dash away.
• Lao đi: to rush off, to lunge forward.
• Chạy thục mạng: to run for one's life, to run desperately fast.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As a verb phrase, "chạy vụt" functions similarly to a phrasal verb. - Chạy vụt qua: to dash past/across. - Một bóng đen chạy vụt qua cửa sổ. (A dark shadow dashed past the window.)

• Chạy vụt ra: to dash out.
  • Nó chạy vụt ra khỏi phòng. (He dashed out of the room.)

Related Idioms

• Nhanh như chớp / Nhanh như điện: As fast as lightning. (Describes speed, not necessarily running.)
• Chạy ba chân bốn cẳng: To run very fast (literally: to run with three legs and four paws). An idiom for running at top speed.

1. Run like the wind