Definition

1. Verb:
   • To dredge: The primary meaning of "nạo vét" is to remove mud, sand, silt, or other material from the bottom of a body of water (like a river, canal, or harbor) in order to deepen it or to obtain material.
   • To extort / To squeeze dry: In a figurative and negative sense, "nạo vét" means to exploit or extract wealth, resources, or money from someone or a group of people in a ruthless and exhaustive manner.

Usage Examples

• Verb (to dredge):
  • Thành phố đang nạo vét con kênh để chống ngập. (The city is dredging the canal to prevent flooding.)
  • Tàu nạo vét sẽ làm việc tại cảng trong một tháng. (The dredging ship will work at the port for a month.)
• Verb (to extort):
  • Những kẻ tham nhũng nạo vét tiền của từ các dự án công. (The corrupt officials extorted money from public projects.)
  • Chế độ cũ bị cáo buộc đã nạo vét tài nguyên của đất nước. (The old regime was accused of squeezing the country's resources dry.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in formal or technical contexts (engineering, environmental management) for its literal meaning and in political or social commentary for its figurative meaning.
• The figurative usage carries a strong connotation of systematic, greedy, and destructive exploitation.

Variants and Related Words

• Nạo vét luồng lạch (v): to dredge a waterway/channel.
  • Dự án nạo vét luồng lạch cho tàu cá. (The project to dredge the waterway for fishing boats.)
• Sự nạo vét (n): dredging (the activity); extortion.
  • Sự nạo vét kênh rạch là cần thiết. (The dredging of canals is necessary.)

Synonyms

• To dredge: to dig, to scoop out, to clear.
• To extort: to exploit, to milk, to drain, to squeeze, to plunder.

Related Idioms

• While not a fixed idiom, the phrase "nạo vét cho đến tận cùng" (to dredge/extort to the very end) emphasizes the exhaustive and complete nature of the action.
  • Chúng nạo vét tài sản của công ty cho đến tận cùng. (They plundered the company's assets down to the last bit.)

verb

1. to dredge