Definition

Verb: - To nab; to snatch; to pinch: To seize or catch someone or something suddenly and often by surprise, typically with the hand. It implies a quick, decisive, and often stealthy action of capture.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cảnh sát đã thộp được tên trộm ngay tại hiện trường. (The police nabbed the thief right at the scene.)
  • Nó thộp lấy cái bánh rồi chạy mất. (He snatched the cake and ran away.)
  • Con mèo thộp con chuột trong góc bếp. (The cat pinched the mouse in the kitchen corner.)

Advanced Usage

• "thộp ngực": This is a common compound phrase meaning to grab someone by the chest or collar, often in a sudden, confrontational manner. It emphasizes the physical act of seizing.
  • Anh ta tức giận, chạy đến thộp ngực kẻ nói xấu mình. (He was angry, ran over and grabbed the slanderer by the collar.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chộp (verb): To snatch, to grab. Very similar in meaning but can sometimes imply a slightly more opportunistic or quicker grab, often for objects.
• Tóm (verb): To catch, to seize. A more general term for catching or apprehending.
• Bắt (verb): To catch, to arrest. The most general and common word for "to catch" or "to arrest."

Synonyms

• Bắt giữ: To apprehend, to arrest (more formal, often used by authorities).
• Túm lấy: To grab hold of, to clutch.
• Vồ lấy: To pounce on, to seize eagerly.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As a single verb, "thộp" is typically used on its own or with a direct object. It does not commonly form phrasal verbs with prepositions in the way English verbs do. Its action is contained in the single word.

Related Idioms

• "Thộp cổ": Literally "to nab by the neck," meaning to catch or apprehend someone definitively, often in the act. It carries a strong sense of catching someone red-handed.
  • Bọn trẻ nghịch phá và bị bác bảo vệ thộp cổ. (The kids were messing around and got nabbed by the neck by the security guard.)

verb

1. to nab; to snatch; to pinch