Definition

Noun: - Pirate: An individual or group of armed robbers who attack and plunder ships at sea or raid coastal settlements. Historically, this term often refers to maritime bandits operating in Southeast Asian waters.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Các thương thuyền thường lo sợ khi đi qua vùng có giặc biển. (Merchant ships often feared passing through areas with pirates.)
  • Giặc biển đã tấn công và cướp phá ngôi làng ven biển. (The pirates attacked and looted the coastal village.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "giặc biển" carries a strong historical and cultural connotation in Vietnamese, often specifically associated with historical pirates in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand, as opposed to the more global or romanticized concept of "pirates."
• It can be used metaphorically to describe modern maritime raiders or illegal armed groups operating at sea.

Variants and Related Words

• Cướp biển (n): This is a more common, modern synonym for "pirate." While "giặc biển" can sound more historical or formal, "cướp biển" is widely used in contemporary contexts.
  • Phim về cướp biển rất nổi tiếng. (Movies about pirates are very famous.)

Synonyms

• Pirate: The direct and most common translation.
• Buccaneer: A historical term for pirates, especially those in the Caribbean.
• Marauder: One who raids and plunders.
• Sea robber: A literal descriptive synonym.

Related Idioms

• While there is no direct idiom using "giặc biển," the concept is related to the Vietnamese phrase:
  • "Ăn cướp như giặc": To rob/plunder like a bandit. This idiom emphasizes ruthless theft and can be applied in a maritime context.

    • Bọn chúng đến và ăn cướp như giặc. (They came and plundered like bandits.)

noun

1. pirate