cướp lái
Definition
- Verb:
- To veer off course (of a vehicle): Refers to a vehicle suddenly and uncontrollably swerving or deviating from its intended path or lane.
- To have the steering/suspension fail: Describes a situation where a vehicle's steering mechanism fails or loses control, causing it to swerve dangerously.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Chiếc ô tô bất ngờ cướp lái và đâm vào cây bên đường. (The car suddenly veered off course and crashed into a tree by the roadside.)
- Xe tải bị cướp lái khi đang chạy với tốc độ cao trên đường cao tốc. (The truck had a steering failure while traveling at high speed on the highway.)
- Tài xế mất kiểm soát, chiếc xe cướp lái sang làn đường ngược chiều. (The driver lost control, and the car swerved into the oncoming lane.)
Advanced Usage
- This term is almost exclusively used to describe a sudden, dangerous mechanical failure or loss of control in a vehicle's steering. It is a technical and descriptive term often found in news reports or accident analyses.
- It should not be confused with the act of hijacking a vehicle, which is "cướp xe."
Variants and Related Words
- Mất lái (verb): To lose control of the steering. This is a more common and general synonym.
- Anh ấy mất lái trên đường trơn và đâm vào vách đá. (He lost control on the slippery road and crashed into a cliff.)
- Trượt bánh (verb): To skid (often due to loss of traction).
- Lạng lách (verb): To weave/swerve (often intentionally or recklessly).
Synonyms
- Bị văng/lệch tay lái: To have the steering wheel jerk/pull to one side.
- Mất kiểm soát tay lái: To lose steering control.
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
- Làm cướp lái (causative verb phrase): To cause a vehicle to veer off/swerve.
- Ổ gà lớn đã làm cướp lái chiếc xe máy. (The large pothole caused the motorbike to swerve.)
Related Idioms
- While there is no direct idiom using "cướp lái," the concept is related to the idiom:
- Mất bò mới lo làm chuồng: Literally "to lose the cow, then worry about building the shed," meaning to act too late (similar to "closing the stable door after the horse has bolted"). This could be used metaphorically after an accident caused by a vehicle failure.