Definition

1. Verb:
   • To leave quickly (a place): To depart from a location in a swift, hurried, or sudden manner. This word often implies a sense of urgency or a desire to escape a situation.

Usage Instructions

• "Phới" is a colloquial verb used primarily in spoken Vietnamese. It describes a quick, often abrupt departure. It is informal and can carry a neutral, humorous, or slightly negative connotation depending on the context (e.g., escaping a boring place, running away from trouble).
• It is typically used intransitively, meaning it does not require a direct object. The place being left is often indicated by a prepositional phrase like "khỏi (nơi nào đó)" (from a place).
• Common structure: Subject + phới + (khỏi + place).

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Buổi họp chán quá, tôi phới luôn. (The meeting was so boring, I left immediately.)
  • Thấy cảnh sát đến, bọn trộm phới mất. (Seeing the police arrive, the thieves took off.)
  • Nó phới khỏi quán cafe ngay khi thấy bạn cũ. (He left the cafe quickly as soon as he saw an old friend.)

Advanced Usage

• "phới cái một" / "phới một cái": To leave in an instant, to vanish in a flash. This phrase emphasizes the extreme speed of the departure.
  • Nghe tiếng mẹ gọi, nó phới cái một. (Hearing his mom call, he vanished in an instant.)

Variants and Related Words

• Phớt (verb): A less common variant with the same meaning as "phới".
• Chạy (verb): To run. While "chạy" is a general term for running, "phới" specifically implies running from a place.
• Bỏ đi (verb phrase): To leave, to abandon. This is more general and less colloquial than "phới", which emphasizes speed.
• Tẩu thoát (verb): To escape, to flee. This is more formal and dramatic than "phới".

Synonyms

• Chạy mất (verb phrase): To run away, to disappear by running.
• Chuồn (verb - slang): To slip away, to skedaddle. Very similar in meaning and register to "phới".
• Rời đi nhanh chóng (verb phrase): To leave quickly (more formal phrasing).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Phới đi: To take off, to leave. The "đi" reinforces the action of departing.
  • Anh ta phới đi từ lúc nào không ai hay. (He took off without anyone noticing.)

Related Idioms

• (Có cửa thì) phới: (When there's a chance/way out, then) leave. This idiom suggests seizing the first opportunity to exit an undesirable situation.
  • Ở đây nguy hiểm lắm, có cửa thì phới ngay. (It's very dangerous here, if there's a way out, leave immediately.)

1. Leave quickly (a place)