Definition

1. Noun:

   • A clay or earthenware statue, often of a guardian figure, traditionally placed in temples or pagodas.
   • A small, whimsical clay, porcelain, or earthenware figurine, typically used as a child's toy.

2. Verb (colloquial):

   • To take something from someone in an unfair or sneaky manner; to snatch or steal something that another person was expecting or entitled to.
   • In certain traditional Vietnamese card games (e.g., Tổ Tôm, Tài Bàn), to call and take a matching third card from another player's discard to complete a set when holding two identical cards.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Trong đền có hai bức tượng phỗng đứng canh gác. (In the temple, there are two clay guardian statues standing watch.)
  • Đứa trẻ chơi với con phỗng bằng sứ. (The child plays with a porcelain figurine.)

• Verb:

  • Nó phỗng mất cơ hội của tôi. (He snatched my opportunity.)
  • Trong ván bài, anh ấy phỗng con Tam Vạn của tôi. (In the card game, he called and took my Tam Vạn tile.)

Advanced Usage

• "phỗng tay trên": To preempt or outmaneuver someone, especially to take an advantage or profit they were about to get.

  • Công ty đối thủ phỗng tay trên hợp đồng này. (The rival company snatched this contract right from under our noses.)

• "đứng trơ như phỗng": An idiom meaning to stand motionless and dumbfounded, like a statue.

  • Nghe tin sốc, anh ta đứng trơ như phỗng. (Hearing the shocking news, he stood frozen like a statue.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tượng (n): A general term for statue or sculpture.
• Bức tượng (n): A statue (often referring to a specific piece).

Synonyms

• Noun: Statuette, figurine, idol.
• Verb: To snatch, to seize, to appropriate, to preempt.

Related Idioms

• "Đứng trơ như phỗng": To stand stock still; to be rooted to the spot in surprise or shock.

1. Clay statue of giant guard; toy earthen statue.
2. (thông tục) Steal a march on somebody and get what is his due, steal someone's thunder