Definition

1. Verb:
   • To devastate; to vandalize; to wreck wantonly: "phá phách" describes the act of destroying or damaging things in a reckless, indiscriminate, or chaotic manner, often causing widespread ruin.
   • To act destructively; to cause havoc: It can also refer to behaving in a way that disrupts, damages, or destroys property or order through unruly actions.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Bọn côn đồ đã vào phá phách căn nhà bỏ hoang. (The thugs went in and vandalized the abandoned house.)
  • Lũ trẻ nghịch ngợm thường phá phách khu vườn. (The mischievous children often wreak havoc in the garden.)
  • Sau trận bão, cơn lũ đã phá phách hoàn toàn mùa màng. (After the storm, the flood completely devastated the crops.)

Advanced Usage

• "ăn không ngồi rồi sinh ra phá phách": An idiom meaning "idleness leads to mischief" or "the devil finds work for idle hands." It suggests that having nothing to do can lead to destructive behavior.
  • Bố mẹ nên cho con tham gia hoạt động gì đó, kẻo "ăn không ngồi rồi sinh ra phá phách". (Parents should get their child involved in some activity, lest "idleness leads to mischief.")

Variants and Related Words

• Phá (verb): To break, to destroy, to demolish. This is the root verb, while "phá phách" emphasizes the chaotic, wanton nature of the destruction.
• Phá hoại (verb): To sabotage, to destroy (often with more deliberate or malicious intent).
• Tàn phá (verb): To ravage, to lay waste to (often used for large-scale destruction by natural forces or war).

Synonyms

• Tàn phá: To ravage, to lay waste.
• Phá hoại: To sabotage, to vandalize.
• Hủy hoại: To ruin, to destroy.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As a single verb, "phá phách" itself is typically used without common phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is contained within the word.

Related Idioms

• "Phá như chơi": To destroy something as if it were a game; to wreck something easily and carelessly.
  • Nó phá cái đồ chơi mới mua như chơi. (He wrecked the new toy as if it were nothing.)
• "Đầu trâu mặt ngựa": Literally "buffalo head, horse face"; used to describe hooligans or ruffians who cause trouble and destruction. Their behavior often involves "phá phách."
  • Lũ đầu trâu mặt ngựa đó lại đến phá phách quán ăn. (Those hooligans came to vandalize the restaurant again.)

verb

1. to devastate