thiên la
Definition
- Noun:
- A celestial net; a net from the sky: In classical and literary contexts, "thiên la" refers to a net from heaven, often part of the compound "thiên la địa võng," symbolizing an inescapable trap that covers both sky and earth.
- An inescapable snare or trap: Used metaphorically to describe a perfectly laid plan or situation from which there is no escape, often set by authorities to capture criminals.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Kế hoạch của cảnh sát như một thiên la, không tên tội phạm nào thoát được. (The police's plan was like a celestial net; no criminal could escape.)
- Truyện cổ thường nhắc đến thiên la địa võng. (Folktales often mention the heaven-earth net.)
Advanced Usage
- "thiên la địa võng": a net spread from heaven to earth; an inescapable dragnet. This is the primary and almost exclusive modern usage. It describes an extremely tight security net, surveillance system, or trap with no loopholes.
- Phạm nhân bị bắt trong thiên la địa võng của cảnh sát. (The offender was caught in the police's inescapable dragnet.)
Variants and Related Words
- Thiên la địa võng (n): an inescapable net; a tight encirclement or trap. This is a fixed, four-character idiom.
Synonyms
- Dragnet: a systematic hunt for criminals.
- Inescapable trap: a snare that cannot be avoided.
- Encirclement: the action of surrounding something completely.
Related Idioms
- Thiên la địa võng (Heaven's net, earth's web): This idiom signifies a trap so comprehensive that escape is impossible. It implies that justice, law, or fate will inevitably catch the guilty.
- Hắn tưởng có thể trốn thoát, nhưng rồi cũng mắc vào thiên la địa võng. (He thought he could escape, but eventually got caught in the inescapable dragnet.)