Definition

1. Noun:
   • A horse that smells the stable: A horse that senses it is nearing its stable and thus quickens its pace, eager to return home. This is the literal meaning.
   • The feeling of eagerness to return home: Used figuratively to describe a person's strong, instinctive desire to return to their familiar place, home, or homeland, especially after a long absence or journey.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Sau chuyến công tác dài, anh ấy có cảm giác mã hồi, chỉ muốn về nhà ngay. (After the long business trip, he had the feeling of a horse smelling the stable, wanting only to go home immediately.)
  • Con ngựa đua về gần chuồng thì chạy nhanh hơn, đúng là mã hồi. (The racehorse ran faster as it neared its stall, truly a horse that smells the stable.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in its figurative sense to poetically describe homesickness or the irresistible pull of home. It conveys an instinctual, almost physical yearning rather than a simple wish.

Variants and Related Words

• Lòng mã hồi: This phrase explicitly means "the heart/feeling of a horse smelling the stable," emphasizing the emotional aspect.
  • Lòng mã hồi thôi thúc anh lên đường. (The feeling of a horse smelling the stable urged him to start his journey home.)

Synonyms

• Homesickness: A feeling of longing for one's home.
• Nostalgia: A sentimental longing for the past, often for one's home or homeland.
• Yearning to return: A deep desire to go back.

Related Idioms

• Ngựa quen đường cũ: (A horse that knows the old road) - An idiom describing a relapse into old habits, often bad ones. While related to horse imagery, its meaning is distinct from mã hồi.