Definition

1. Verb:
   • To initiate, to start, to trigger: "khơi mào" refers to the action of beginning or setting off a process, event, or discussion, often implying the act of sparking something that then develops further.

Usage

• General Use: The word is used to describe the action of starting something, often a conversation, a debate, a conflict, or a series of events. It focuses on the initial, triggering action.
• Typical Contexts: Commonly used in formal discussions, news reports, narratives about conflicts or debates, and descriptions of ceremonial or procedural beginnings.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Một sự cố nhỏ đã khơi mào cho cuộc tranh cãi lớn. (A minor incident triggered a major argument.)
  • Bài phát biểu của ông ấy khơi mào cho một làn sóng phản đối. (His speech sparked a wave of protests.)
  • Ai là người khơi mào trận chiến này? (Who initiated this battle?)

Advanced Usage

• "khơi mào cho": to initiate/trigger for.
  • Hành động đó khơi mào cho một loạt thay đổi quan trọng. (That action triggered a series of important changes.)

Variants and Related Words

• Khai mào (Verb): A near-synonym meaning to start or inaugurate, often used in more formal or ceremonial contexts (e.g., khai mào buổi lễ - to inaugurate the ceremony).
• Mở đầu (Verb): To begin, to start. A more general and common synonym.
• Châm ngòi (Verb): Literally "to light the fuse," used figuratively to mean to trigger or set off (especially a conflict or explosion), with a stronger connotation of causing a sudden, dramatic start.

Synonyms

• Bắt đầu: to begin.
• Mở màn: to open the curtain, to commence (often for events, shows).
• Phát động: to launch (a campaign, movement).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Khơi mào cuộc thảo luận: to initiate a discussion.
• Khơi mào xung đột: to trigger a conflict.

Related Idioms

• Châm ngòi cho: to light the fuse for (a stronger, more dramatic idiom for triggering an event, often negative like a war or fight).
  • Lời lăng mạ đó châm ngòi cho cuộc ẩu đả. (That insult lit the fuse for the brawl.)

1. Introductory
   • Chủ tọa nói vài lời khơi mào
     The chairman said a few introductory words