lăn queo
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To fall and curl up: To tumble or collapse in such a way that one's body becomes curled or coiled, often due to pain, impact, or loss of consciousness.
- To fall heavily and lie still: To drop to the ground suddenly and remain in a motionless, curled position, suggesting a severe or incapacitating fall.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Anh ta bị đấm một cái và lăn queo xuống đất. (He was punched and fell curled up on the ground.)
- Nghe tin dữ, bà cụ lăn queo ra sàn. (Upon hearing the bad news, the old woman collapsed in a heap on the floor.)
- Cậu bé trượt chân, lăn queo từ trên cầu thang xuống. (The boy slipped and tumbled down the stairs in a curled-up heap.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often implies a sudden, uncontrolled, and complete collapse where the person or creature does not get up immediately. It is frequently used in narratives to describe a dramatic or violent fall.
- It can be used figuratively to describe a sudden and complete failure or defeat, though this is less common.
Variants and Related Words
Lăn ra (verb phrase): to fall over; to sprawl out (less specific about the body's posture).
- Nó mệt quá, lăn ra ngủ. (He was so tired, he collapsed and slept.)
Ngã lăn (verb phrase): to fall and roll.
- Chiếc xe đạp ngã lăn bên đường. (The bicycle fell and rolled by the roadside.)
Synonyms
- To collapse in a heap: To fall down and lie in an untidy, curled mass.
- To crumple: To fall or drop suddenly, with limbs bending loosely.
- To fall coiled up: To drop to the ground with the body curled.
Related Idioms
- Lăn đùng ra: (a more emphatic variant) to fall over suddenly and lie completely still, often as if dead or knocked out.
- Nó uống rượu say, lăn đùng ra không biết gì. (He got drunk and passed out cold.)