chữa cháy
Definition
- Verb:
- To extinguish a fire; to fight a fire: The primary meaning refers to the action of stopping a fire from burning, typically performed by firefighters or using specialized equipment.
- (Figurative) To remedy an urgent, unexpected problem; to handle a crisis: Used metaphorically to describe the act of hastily solving a sudden, difficult situation, often one that was poorly planned for.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Đội cứu hỏa đang chữa cháy tại một tòa nhà cao tầng. (The fire brigade is fighting a fire in a high-rise building.)
- Anh ấy luôn phải chữa cháy cho những sai lầm của đồng nghiệp. (He always has to put out fires [handle crises] for his colleagues' mistakes.)
- Chúng tôi cần một giải pháp để chữa cháy tình hình tài chính hiện tại. (We need a solution to remedy the current financial situation.)
Advanced Usage
- "Làm việc chữa cháy" / "Tư duy chữa cháy": Describes a reactive work style or mindset focused on solving problems only after they have become urgent crises, rather than planning to prevent them.
- Công ty cần thoát khỏi văn hóa làm việc chữa cháy. (The company needs to escape the culture of firefighting [reactive problem-solving].)
Variants and Related Words
- Chữa (verb): To cure, to treat, to fix. This is the root verb meaning "to remedy."
- Cháy (verb): To burn, to be on fire.
- Cứu hỏa (verb/noun): A synonym for firefighting; more formal term for "chữa cháy."
- PCCC (Phòng cháy chữa cháy) (noun): Fire prevention and fighting. This is a compound term where "chữa cháy" is a component.
- Bình chữa cháy (noun): Fire extinguisher. This is a compound noun.
Synonyms
- Dập lửa: To put out a fire (literal).
- Khắc phục sự cố: To fix/overcome an incident (figurative).
- Ứng cứu: To provide emergency relief/rescue.
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
Note: As a Vietnamese compound verb, "chữa cháy" itself functions as a phrasal unit. - Đi chữa cháy: To go firefighting (literal); to go handle an emergency/crisis (figurative). - Sếp lại gọi đi chữa cháy ở chi nhánh. (The boss called me to go handle a crisis at the branch office again.)
Related Idioms
- "Muộn còn hơn không" / "Chữa cháy": While not a fixed idiom, the figurative use of "chữa cháy" often implies a last-minute, better-than-nothing solution, similar to the sentiment "better late than never" in a crisis context.
- Đây chỉ là biện pháp chữa cháy tạm thời. (This is just a temporary stop-gap measure.)