Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of traditional Vietnamese work song or chant: Specifically, "mái đẩy" refers to a rhythmic call-and-response song sung by laborers, such as rowers or porters, to coordinate their physical efforts and maintain morale during strenuous, repetitive tasks.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Nghe tiếng hò mái đẩy, ta có thể cảm nhận được nhịp điệu lao động. (Listening to the "mái đẩy" chant, one can feel the rhythm of the labor.)
  • Các chàng trai hát mái đẩy để cùng nhau kéo thuyền ngược dòng. (The young men sang "mái đẩy" to pull the boat upstream together.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in the compound form "hò mái đẩy", where "hò" means a work chant or folk song. It is a specific sub-genre of Vietnamese "hò".
  • Hò mái đẩy là một phần của di sản văn hóa phi vật thể. ("Hò mái đẩy" is part of the intangible cultural heritage.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hò mái đẩy (n): The full and most common term for this specific work chant.
• Hò (n): A broader category of Vietnamese work songs or responsive folk singing, such as (boat rowing chant) or (rice pounding chant).

Synonyms

• Work song: A song sung to accompany and rhythmically coordinate work.
• Chantey / Shanty: A type of work song historically sung by sailors.
• Labor chant: A rhythmic call used to synchronize group labor.

Notes on Usage

• "Mái đẩy" is a highly specialized term. In practice, it is very rarely used in isolation. The dictionary reference "xem hò mái đẩy" (see: hò mái đẩy) indicates that the primary entry is the compound form. When encountered alone, "mái đẩy" implicitly refers to this specific type of "hò".