cú muỗi
Definition
- Noun:
- Nightjar: A nocturnal bird belonging to the family Caprimulgidae, known for its insectivorous diet, especially catching mosquitoes and other flying insects at dusk and dawn. It has a wide mouth, cryptic plumage, and a silent flight.
- Colloquial term for a very small or insignificant thing: In informal Vietnamese, it can be used metaphorically to refer to something tiny or of little value, similar to saying "a mere mosquito bite" in English.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Trong vườn có tiếng kêu của một con cú muỗi. (In the garden, there is the call of a nightjar.)
- Anh ta lo lắng về một khoản tiền cú muỗi. (He is worried about a trifling amount of money.)
Advanced Usage
- "Nhỏ như cú muỗi": As small as a nightjar (used to emphasize something is very small or insignificant).
- Căn phòng đó nhỏ như cú muỗi. (That room is tiny [as small as a nightjar].)
Variants and Related Words
- Chim cú muỗi: A more explicit term for the bird, meaning "nightjar bird."
- Engoulevent: The French term for nightjar, as referenced in historical dictionaries.
Synonyms
- Chim lợn: Literally "pig bird," a common Vietnamese name for barn owls, but sometimes confused with nightjars. They are different bird families.
- Nightjar: The direct English translation.
- Goatsucker: An old English folk name for birds in the Caprimulgidae family.
Related Phrases
- Bắt muỗi như cú muỗi: To catch mosquitoes like a nightjar (describes someone very effective at catching mosquitoes or, figuratively, dealing with minor nuisances).
Related Idioms
- Chuyện cú muỗi: A trivial matter, a "mosquito-sized" issue.
- Đừng biến chuyện cú muỗi thành to chuyện. (Don't make a mountain out of a molehill [a trivial matter].)