Definition

Noun: 1. Animal, Beast: A general term for a non-human living creature, especially one with four legs. It often carries a neutral or biological meaning. 2. Domestic Animal, Livestock: Specifically refers to animals raised by humans for utility, such as for food, labor, or products (e.g., cows, pigs, goats, chickens). 3. (Derogatory) Brute, Beast: Used as a strong insult to describe a person who is considered cruel, stupid, or who behaves in a vile, inhuman manner.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Neutral/Biological):

  • Voi là một loài súc vật rất thông minh. (The elephant is a very intelligent animal.)
  • Khu bảo tồn này có nhiều súc vật quý hiếm. (This reserve has many rare animals.)

• Noun (Domestic):

  • Nông dân chăm sóc súc vật rất cẩn thận. (The farmers take care of their livestock very carefully.)
  • Họ nuôi nhiều súc vật như gà, lợn, và trâu. (They raise many domestic animals like chickens, pigs, and buffaloes.)

• Noun (Derogatory, Insult):

  • Đồ súc vật! Mày không có chút nhân tính nào sao? (You brute! Do you have no humanity at all?)
  • Hành động của hắn thật đáng khinh, đúng là súc vật. (His actions are despicable; he is truly an animal.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is context-dependent. In formal or scientific writing (e.g., biology, agriculture), it is neutral. In everyday speech, when referring to people, it is almost always a severe insult.
• "súc vật hóa": (verb) to dehumanize, to treat someone as less than human.
  • Chiến tranh thường dẫn đến việc súc vật hóa kẻ thù. (War often leads to the dehumanization of the enemy.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gia súc (n): Livestock, domestic animals. This is a more specific and technical term than "súc vật" for farm animals.

  • Gia súc chính của vùng này là bò và cừu. (The main livestock in this region are cattle and sheep.)

• Thú vật (n): Animal, beast. Very similar in meaning to "súc vật" but can sound slightly more formal or literary. It is also used as an insult.

• Động vật (n): Animal. This is the standard, neutral, and scientific term for any member of the animal kingdom, with no derogatory connotation.
  • Động vật có vú (mammals), động vật lưỡng cư (amphibians).

Synonyms

• Animal / Beast: (for meanings 1 & 3)
• Livestock / Domestic Animal: (for meaning 2)
• Brute: (for derogatory meaning 3)

Related Idioms

• Đồ súc vật!: A common exclamation of contempt, directly translating to "You animal!" or "You brute!"
• Sống như súc vật: To live like an animal; to live in a degraded, inhuman condition.
  • Những tù nhân bị buộc phải sống như súc vật. (The prisoners were forced to live like animals.)

noun

1. animal