Definition

1. Verb:
   • To jump, to leap: To propel oneself quickly upward or across a distance by pushing off the ground with one's feet.
   • To dance: To move one's body rhythmically, usually to music.
   • To skip, to omit: To pass over or leave out something, such as a part of a text or a step in a sequence.
   • (Of a male animal) To cover, to mate with: Used specifically for animals, meaning a male mates with a female.

Usage Examples

• Verb (to jump):
  • Nó nhảy qua cái hào rất dễ dàng. (He jumped over the ditch very easily.)
  • Con ếch nhảy xuống ao. (The frog jumped into the pond.)
• Verb (to dance):
  • Chiều nay có nhảy hay không? (Will there be dancing this evening?)
  • Họ nhảy suốt đêm. (They danced all night.)
• Verb (to skip/omit):
  • Đọc nhảy một đoạn. (To skip a passage [while reading].)
  • Nhảy một dòng khi đánh máy. (A line was skipped during the typing.)
• Verb (to cover - animals):
  • Con ngựa đực nhảy con ngựa cái. (The stallion covers the mare.)

Advanced Usage

• "Nhảy cóc" (lit. "toad jump"): To advance rapidly or skip over normal steps, often in a career or hierarchy, sometimes implying illegitimacy.
  • Hắn nhảy cóc lên chức giám đốc. (He jumped/fast-tracked to the director position.)
• "Nhảy việc": To job-hop; to change jobs frequently.
  • Cô ấy nhảy việc hai lần trong một năm. (She changed jobs twice in one year.)
• "Nhảy mũi": To sneeze.
  • Anh ta nhảy mũi liên tục vì dị ứng. (He kept sneezing because of allergies.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nhảy nhót (verb): To jump around, to fidget; often implies playful or restless movement.
  • Bọn trẻ nhảy nhót trong sân. (The children are jumping around in the yard.)
• Nhảy dù (noun/verb): Literally "parachute jump"; figuratively, to be appointed to a high position without going through the usual process or without relevant experience.
• Cái nhảy (noun): A jump, a leap (the act or instance of jumping).
  • Cái nhảy của con mèo thật ngoạn mục. (The cat's leap was spectacular.)

Synonyms

• For "to jump": Bật, phóng.
• For "to dance": Khiêu vũ (more formal), múa (often implies more artistic/performance dance).
• For "to skip/omit": Bỏ qua, lướt qua.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Nhảy vào: To jump into; to intervene or engage in something suddenly.
  • Anh ấy nhảy vào cuộc tranh cãi. (He jumped into the argument.)
• Nhảy ra: To jump out; to emerge or appear suddenly.
  • Con thỏ nhảy ra từ bụi cây. (The rabbit jumped out from the bush.)
• Nhảy lên: To jump up.
  • Cô ấy nhảy lên vì vui sướng. (She jumped up for joy.)

Related Idioms

• "Nhảy lên nhảy xuống": To be agitated, to be in a state of restless anxiety.
  • Nghe tin đó, anh ta nhảy lên nhảy xuống lo lắng. (Hearing that news, he was jumping up and down with worry.)
• "Chỗ nào cũng nhảy vào": To meddle in everything; to stick one's nose into every matter.
  • Anh ta chỗ nào cũng nhảy vào, thật khó chịu. (He meddles in everything; it's so annoying.)

1. Jump
   • nhảy qua cái hào
     To jump (across) the ditch
2. Get oneself promoted rapidly and illegitimately to the presidency
3. Dance
   • chiều nay có nhảy hay không?
     Will there be a dance this evening?
4. Cover
   • Con ngựa đực nhảy con ngựa cái
     A horse cvers a mare
5. skip
   • Đọc nhảy một đoạn
     to skip a passage To skip a passage in a book
   • Nhảy một dòng khi đánh máy
     A line was skpped during the typing