Definition

1. Verb:

   • To steer; to drive; to pilot: To control the direction and movement of a vehicle (car, boat, airplane, etc.).
   • To guide; to direct: To skillfully guide a conversation, situation, or activity towards a specific goal or direction.

2. Noun:

   • Helm; rudder; steering wheel: The device or mechanism used for steering a vehicle or vessel.
   • Stern: The rear part of a boat or ship.
   • Trader; dealer: (When used as a prefix before a noun) A person who trades or deals in a specific commodity.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy lái ô tô rất cẩn thận. (He drives a car very carefully.)
  • Thuyền trưởng lái con tàu qua cơn bão. (The captain steered the ship through the storm.)
  • Cô ấy khéo léo lái câu chuyện sang một chủ đề khác. (She skillfully steered the conversation to another topic.)
• Noun:
  • Tay anh nắm chặt lái xe. (His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly.)
  • Hãy ngồi bớt về phía lái. (Please move forward a bit from the stern.)
  • Ông ấy là một lái trâu có tiếng trong vùng. (He is a well-known buffalo trader in the region.)

Advanced Usage

• "lái buôn" / "thương lái": A merchant, trader (often on a larger scale).
  • Các thương lái thu mua nông sản. (Merchants purchase agricultural produce.)
• "lái xe": Driver (literally "to drive vehicle").
  • Công ty đang tuyển lái xe đường dài. (The company is hiring long-distance drivers.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tay lái (n): Steering wheel; (figuratively) the act or skill of driving/steering.
  • Anh ấy là một tay lái cừ khôi. (He is an expert driver.)
• Bánh lái (n): Rudder (for ships/boats).
  • Bánh lái tàu bị hỏng. (The ship's rudder is broken.)
• Lái đò (n): Ferryman.
  • Bác lái đò chở khách qua sông mỗi ngày. (The ferryman carries passengers across the river every day.)

Synonyms

• Drive/Pilot/Steer: to control a vehicle.
• Guide/Direct/Maneuver: to control a situation.
• Helm/Rudder: a steering device.
• Merchant/Dealer: a trader.

Related Idioms

• Nói lái: A wordplay technique involving the switching of syllables or tones to create a humorous or cryptic meaning.
  • Anh ấy thích chơi chữ bằng cách nói lái. (He likes to play with words using nói lái.)
• Cầm lái: To take the helm; to be in charge or in control.
  • Người quản lý mới sẽ cầm lái dự án. (The new manager will take the helm of the project.)

noun

1. helm; rudder; steering-wheel

verb

1. to steer; to drive; to pilot
   • lái ô tô
     to drive a car