thuồng luồng
Definition
- Noun:
- A mythical aquatic serpent: A legendary, often fearsome, water-dwelling reptile or serpentine creature in Vietnamese folklore, said to inhabit rivers and lakes and sometimes harm people.
- Crocodile; Alligator: In some contexts, it can refer to real-life large aquatic reptiles like crocodiles or alligators.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Truyền thuyết kể rằng dưới sông Hồng có thuồng luồng. (Legend says there are thuồng luồng in the Red River.)
- Người dân làng tin rằng con thuồng luồng đã kéo người đánh cá xuống nước. (The villagers believe the thuồng luồng dragged the fisherman underwater.)
- Ở một số vùng, "thuồng luồng" cũng được dùng để chỉ cá sấu. (In some regions, "thuồng luồng" is also used to mean crocodile.)
Advanced Usage
- "thuồng luồng" as a cultural symbol: The creature often symbolizes the dangerous, mysterious, and untamed power of water in Vietnamese myths and historical narratives.
- Vua Lý Thái Tổ được kể là đã gặp một con thuồng luồng vàng khi dời đô về Thăng Long. (King Lý Thái Tổ is said to have encountered a golden thuồng luồng when moving the capital to Thăng Long.)
Variants and Related Words
- Giao long / Giao (n): Another term for a mythical aquatic dragon or serpent, often used interchangeably or similarly to in legends.
- Cá sấu (n): The standard modern word for crocodile/alligator.
- Thuồng luồng đất: A folk term sometimes used for a type of large lizard or monitor lizard.
Synonyms
- Thủy quái (n): Water monster.
- Giao long (n): Aquatic dragon/serpent (mythical).
Related Phrases/Idioms
- Dữ như thuồng luồng: (As fierce as a ); used to describe someone or something extremely fierce or aggressive.
- Tính anh ấy dữ như thuồng luồng. (His temper is as fierce as a thuồng luồng.)