Definition

1. Verb:
   • To signal; to make a signal: "ra hiệu" means to intentionally use a gesture, sign, or action to communicate a specific message or instruction to someone else, often without speaking.
   • To gesture; to give a sign: It refers to the act of making a sign, typically with a part of the body like the hand or eyes, to convey information or a command.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy ra hiệu cho tôi dừng lại. (He signaled for me to stop.)
  • Cô giáo ra hiệu im lặng cho cả lớp. (The teacher gave the signal for the whole class to be quiet.)
  • Tôi sẽ ra hiệu bằng cách vẫy tay. (I will signal by waving my hand.)

Advanced Usage

• "ra hiệu bằng mắt": to signal with one's eyes; to give a meaningful look.
  • Cô ấy ra hiệu bằng mắt để tôi không nói gì thêm. (She signaled with her eyes for me to say nothing more.)
• "ra hiệu bằng tay": to signal with one's hand; to gesture.
  • Cảnh sát giao thông ra hiệu bằng tay để điều khiển xe cộ. (The traffic police officer signals with his hand to direct traffic.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hiệu (n): signal, sign.
  • hiệu lệnh (command signal), tín hiệu (signal, e.g., traffic light).
• Làm hiệu (v): a near-synonymous phrase meaning to make a sign/signal.
  • Đừng làm hiệu gì cả. (Don't make any signals.)

Synonyms

• Báo hiệu (v): to signal, to indicate (often for something about to happen).
• Ám hiệu (v): to give a covert or secret signal.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Ra dấu (v): to gesture; to make a sign (very similar in meaning and often interchangeable with "ra hiệu").
  • Anh ta ra dấu cho tôi đến gần. (He gestured for me to come closer.)

Related Idioms

• "Ra hiệu bằng chân tay": to signal using limbs (emphasizing the use of body language).
  • Trong môi trường ồn ào, đôi khi phải ra hiệu bằng chân tay. (In a noisy environment, sometimes you have to signal using your limbs.)

verb

1. to signal; to make signal
   • ra hiệu im lặng
     to give a signal for silence