cong đuôi
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To flee hastily, to run away quickly: "cong đuôi" describes the action of running away at full speed, often out of fear, panic, or to escape a situation. It implies a sudden and rapid departure.
- To take to one's heels: This is a direct and common English equivalent, capturing the idiomatic and hurried nature of the Vietnamese phrase.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Thấy chó dữ, nó cong đuôi chạy mất. (Seeing the fierce dog, he took to his heels and ran away.)
- Bọn trộm nghe tiếng còi cảnh sát liền cong đuôi. (The thieves heard the police siren and immediately fled.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is almost exclusively used in the fixed form "chạy cong đuôi" (to run [with a] crooked tail). The image evokes an animal tucking its tail between its legs and running away in fear.
- Sau khi gây chuyện, nó chỉ biết chạy cong đuôi. (After causing trouble, all he could do was run away with his tail between his legs.)
Variants and Related Words
- Chạy mất dép (verb phrase): to run so fast one loses one's slippers; to run away in great haste.
- Chạy trốn (verb): to flee, to escape.
- Bỏ chạy (verb): to run off, to take flight.
Synonyms
- To flee: chạy trốn.
- To bolt: bỏ chạy vọt.
- To scamper away: chạy nhanh (thường loạng choạng).
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
- Chạy cong đuôi is itself a fixed verb phrase. It is not typically separated or used with other particles.
Related Idioms
- Chạy như ma đuổi: to run as if chased by a ghost; to run for one's life.
- Chạy bán sống bán chết: to run desperately for one's life.
- Cuốn gói chạy: to pack up and run (implies a more planned but urgent departure).
- Chạy cong đuôi To take to one's heels