cỡi
Definition
- Verb:
- To ride (an animal): The primary meaning of "cỡi" is to sit on and control the movement of an animal, such as a horse, elephant, or buffalo, for transportation or work.
- To mount: This refers to the action of getting onto the back of an animal in order to ride it.
Usage Notes
- "Cỡi" is a dialectal variant, most commonly used in Southern Vietnam. The standard, more universally understood word in Vietnamese is "cưỡi". Both words share identical meanings and usage.
- It is used specifically for riding living creatures. For riding vehicles like bicycles or motorcycles, the verb "lái" (to drive) or "đi" (to go by) is used instead.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Người nông dân cỡi con trâu ra đồng. (The farmer rides the buffalo to the field.)
- Cô ấy muốn học cách cỡi ngựa. (She wants to learn how to ride a horse.)
- Họ cỡi voi tham quan trong rừng. (They ride elephants to tour the forest.)
Advanced Usage
- "cỡi đầu cỡi cổ": This is a figurative, colloquial idiom meaning to dominate, bully, or take advantage of someone, to ride roughshod over them.
- Ông chủ đó hay cỡi đầu cỡi cổ nhân viên. (That boss often bullies his employees.)
Variants and Related Words
- Cưỡi (v): The standard form meaning "to ride (an animal)".
- Cưỡi ngựa là một môn thể thao thú vị. (Horse riding is an interesting sport.)
Synonyms
- Ride: To sit on and control an animal.
- Mount: To get up on the back of an animal.
Related Idioms
- Cỡi ngựa xem hoa: (From the standard "Cưỡi ngựa xem hoa"). An idiom meaning to do something in a hurried, superficial, or perfunctory manner, like "riding a horse to look at flowers" without paying close attention.
- Anh ấy đọc báo cáo kiểu cỡi ngựa xem hoa. (He read the report in a very cursory way.)