Definition

Động từ (Verb): - To draw lots, to cast lots: A method of making a random selection or decision, typically by having each person draw a marked slip, stick, or other object from a container. It implies a fair, chance-based process to determine who gets something (like a privilege or ticket) or who must do something.

Usage Examples

• Động từ:
  • Chỉ có một vé đá bóng, nên họ phải gắp thăm. (There is only one football ticket, so they have to draw lots.)
  • Để chọn người đi trước, chúng tôi quyết định gắp thăm. (To choose who goes first, we decided to draw lots.)
  • Ai gắp thăm trúng số sẽ là đội trưởng. (Whoever draws the winning lot will be the team captain.)

Advanced Usage

• "Cho... gắp thăm": to have someone draw lots.

  • Giáo viên cho học sinh gắp thăm để chọn người trình bày. (The teacher had the students draw lots to choose the presenter.)

• "Gắp thăm may rủi": to draw lots, emphasizing the element of luck or chance.

  • Kết quả phụ thuộc vào gắp thăm may rủi. (The outcome depends on the luck of the draw.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bốc thăm (động từ): A very close synonym, also meaning "to draw lots." The terms are often used interchangeably.

  • Họ sẽ bốc thăm để chia đội. (They will draw lots to divide into teams.)

• Rút thăm (động từ): Another synonym, literally "to pull/draw a lot."

  • Phương pháp công bằng nhất là rút thăm. (The fairest method is to draw lots.)

Synonyms

• Draw straws: To choose by lot using straws of different lengths.
• Toss a coin / Flip a coin: To make a decision between two options by chance.
• Random selection: The general process of choosing by chance.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As "gắp thăm" is a specific verb phrase in Vietnamese, it does not have direct English phrasal verb equivalents. The concept is expressed with the verb phrases listed above (draw lots, cast lots).

Related Idioms

• "Số phận đã định" / "Đã có số phận": "Fate is sealed" or "It's destiny." This relates to the idea of chance or luck inherent in drawing lots, but it is a broader philosophical concept.
• "Ăn may": "To get lucky." This idiom captures the element of luck involved in a process like drawing lots.

1. Draw lots, cast lots
   • Chỉ có một vé đá bóng cho năm người phải gắp thăm
     There is only one football ticket for the five of them, so they have to draw lots