lái vọt
Definition
- Verb:
- To scull / to row a boat rapidly: The primary meaning of "lái vọt" is to pilot or steer a small boat, typically a rowboat or sampan, by using oars in a swift, vigorous manner to propel it forward quickly.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Người chèo đò lái vọt con thuyền qua khúc sông xiết. (The ferryman sculled the boat rapidly through the rapids.)
- Họ phải lái vọt để kịp ra khơi trước khi trời tối. (They had to row swiftly to make it out to sea before dark.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is specific to the context of boating and traditional water transport. It implies not just steering ("lái") but doing so with speed and purposeful effort ("vọt").
Variants and Related Words
- Lái (v): to steer, to drive, to pilot (a vehicle or vessel).
- Chèo (v): to row, to paddle.
- Chèo thuyền (v): to row a boat.
Synonyms
- To row swiftly: to propel a boat using oars with speed.
- To scull rapidly: to move a boat by using an oar at the stern in a twisting motion, done quickly.
Related Idioms
- While "lái vọt" itself is not a common idiom, it is a descriptive compound verb often used in narratives about river life or travel.