phóng hỏa
Definition
- Verb:
- To set fire to / to commit arson: The deliberate and criminal act of starting a fire with the intent to cause damage to property or harm.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Kẻ tình nghi đã phóng hỏa căn nhà. (The suspect set fire to the house.)
- Hành vi phóng hỏa là một tội ác nghiêm trọng. (The act of arson is a serious crime.)
- Chúng đe dọa sẽ phóng hỏa kho hàng. (They threatened to torch the warehouse.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is specifically used in legal and criminal contexts to describe the act of arson. It implies malicious intent and is not used for accidental fires.
Variants and Related Words
- Đốt (v): to burn. This is a more general term for burning something, which may or may not be criminal.
- Đứa trẻ vô tình đốt cháy tờ giấy. (The child accidentally burned the paper.)
- Hỏa hoạn (n): a fire (as a disaster or incident).
- Vụ hỏa hoạn thiêu rụi tòa nhà. (The fire burned down the building.)
Synonyms
- To commit arson: the criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property.
- To set fire to: to cause something to start burning.
- To torch (informal): to set fire to something deliberately.
Related Idioms
- Phóng hỏa đốt nhà: Literally "to set fire and burn one's own house," meaning to take an action that brings about one's own ruin.
- Hành động đó chẳng khác nào phóng hỏa đốt nhà. (That action is no different from burning down your own house.)
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Set fire to
