cắt tai
Definition
- Verb:
- To cut off an ear: The primary meaning refers to the act of severing or removing an ear, typically as a punishment, in a violent act, or in a specific context like animal marking.
- To crop ears (of an animal): In veterinary or animal husbandry contexts, it can refer to the practice of surgically trimming the ears of certain animals, like dogs, for cosmetic or traditional reasons.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Kẻ cướp đe dọa sẽ cắt tai nạn nhân. (The robber threatened to cut off the victim's ear.)
- Một số giống chó thường được cắt tai khi còn nhỏ. (Some dog breeds often have their ears cropped when they are young.)
Advanced Usage
- "cắt tai bắt vạ": This is a historical or proverbial concept referring to an extreme or cruel method of punishment or coercion.
- Câu chuyện về tên địa chủ cắt tai bắt vạ người nông dân. (The story about the landlord cutting off ears to extort fines from the farmer.)
Variants and Related Words
- Cắt cụt (verb): to amputate, to cut off (a limb).
- Xén tai (verb): to trim ears (less common, more specific to the action of trimming).
- Thủ thuật cắt tai (noun phrase): ear cropping procedure.
Synonyms
- Xẻo tai (verb): to slice off an ear (implies a swift, cutting action).
- Cụt tai (adjective): having a cut-off ear; earless.
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
(Note: As a compound verb, 'cắt tai' itself functions as a phrase. Vietnamese often forms specific meaning compounds rather than phrasal verbs in the English sense.) - Đi cắt tai: to go for ear cropping (e.g., taking a pet for the procedure).
Related Idioms
- Cắt tai không đau bằng cắt của: (Proverb) Literally "Cutting an ear doesn't hurt as much as cutting property/wealth." It means financial loss is more painful than physical harm.
- Nói một đàng, cắt tai một nẻo: (Idiom) To say one thing but do something completely different; to be utterly inconsistent or deceitful.