giật lửa

Thân thiện

Một người bạn giật lửa của tôi một ít tiền để mua vé xe.

Definition

1. Verb (idiomatic):
   • To borrow something (typically money or a small item) urgently due to a pressing, immediate need, with the explicit understanding that it will be repaid or returned very shortly, often within the same day or encounter.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Tôi phải giật lửa của hàng xóm 50 nghìn để mua thuốc. (I had to urgently borrow 50,000 VND from my neighbor to buy medicine.)
  • Anh ấy giật lửa cái bật lửa của tôi rồi trả lại ngay. (He urgently borrowed my lighter and returned it immediately.)
  • Có việc đột xuất, cô ấy phải đi giật lửa ít tiền. (An unexpected situation arose, so she had to go and urgently borrow some money.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase emphasizes the urgency and temporary nature of the borrowing. It implies a situation that cannot wait and carries a social expectation of prompt repayment, often between acquaintances.
• It is commonly used for small amounts of money or everyday items, not for large loans.

Variants and Related Words

• Giật nóng (v): A direct synonym with identical meaning and usage.
  • Tôi cần giật nóng anh cái kéo một lát. (I need to urgently borrow your scissors for a moment.)

Synonyms

• To borrow in a pinch: To borrow out of urgent necessity.
• To get a quick loan: To obtain a loan for immediate use with fast repayment.

Related Idioms

• While "giật lửa" itself is an idiomatic verb, it is related to the concept of urgent need. A conceptually similar idiom is:
  • Chữa cháy: Literally "to fight a fire," used figuratively to mean dealing with an urgent problem or emergency.

    • Khoản tiền này chỉ để chữa cháy thôi. (This amount of money is just for dealing with an emergency.)

Học thuật

1. (cũng nói giật nóng) Borrow in an emergency (and pay back immediately)