con ngựa
Definition
Noun:
- The horse: A large, solid-hoofed mammal (Equus caballus) domesticated for riding, racing, and carrying or pulling loads.
- The knight (in chess): A piece in the game of chess that moves in an "L" shape.
Noun (technical/obsolete usage):
- The anchor (of a clock/watch): The component in a timepiece's escapement mechanism that rocks back and forth to regulate the gear train.
Usage Examples
Noun (animal):
- Con ngựa đó có bộ lông rất đẹp. (That horse has a very beautiful coat.)
- Người nông dân dùng con ngựa để kéo xe. (The farmer uses the horse to pull the cart.)
Noun (chess):
- Tôi di chuyển con ngựa để tấn công. (I move the knight to attack.)
Advanced Usage
"ngựa ô": a black horse.
- Anh cưỡi một con ngựa ô. (He rides a black horse.)
"ngựa chiến": a warhorse, a steed.
- Những con ngựa chiến thời xưa rất dũng mãnh. (The warhorses of old were very mighty.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ngựa cái (n): a mare (female horse).
- Ngựa đực (n): a stallion (male horse).
- Ngựa con (n): a foal, a colt (young horse).
- Ngựa vằn (n): a zebra (literally "striped horse").
Synonyms
- Steed (literary): a horse being ridden or available for riding.
- Mount: an animal, especially a horse, used for riding.
- Knight (specific to chess).
Related Idioms and Phrases
Cưỡi ngựa xem hoa: to do something in a superficial or cursory manner (literally "to view flowers while on horseback").
- Anh ấy chỉ cưỡi ngựa xem hoa, không đi vào chi tiết. (He only skimmed the surface and did not go into details.)
Đầu ngựa, mặt ngựa: to have an ugly or unpleasant face (rude, literal meaning "horse head, horse face").
- Khỏe như ngựa: to be as strong as a horse.
- Ông ấy già nhưng vẫn khỏe như ngựa. (He is old but still as strong as a horse.)