Definition

1. Noun:
   • Ferryman: A person whose occupation is to operate a ferry, transporting passengers and goods across a river or other body of water in a small boat, typically a rowboat or a small motorized vessel.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông sãi đò già đã chở khách qua sông suốt 30 năm. (The old ferryman has been carrying passengers across the river for 30 years.)
  • Chúng tôi phải đợi sãi đò quay lại. (We had to wait for the ferryman to return.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "sãi đò" is a compound noun specific to Vietnamese, painting a traditional, often rustic image of local river transport. It implies a person who performs this task regularly, often as a lifelong job on a specific route.

Variants and Related Words

• Người chèo đò (n): boat rower, a person who rows a boat. This is a more general descriptive phrase.

  • Người chèo đò đưa chúng tôi tham quan vịnh. (The boat rower took us on a tour of the bay.)

• Người lái đò (n): boat operator/boatman, similar in meaning to "sãi đò."

  • Người lái đò rất am hiểu dòng sông này. (The boatman knows this river very well.)

Synonyms

• Boatman: A man who works on or is in charge of a small boat.
• Ferryman: A person who operates a ferry.
• Waterman: A person who works or lives on the water, especially one who ferries passengers.

Related Idioms

• While there is no direct idiom with "sãi đò", the figure of the ferryman is a common cultural archetype, often symbolizing a guide or a transition between states (e.g., life and death, as in the myth of Charon). In Vietnamese context, it can evoke themes of patience, routine, and connection between communities separated by water.