thuộc làu
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To know by heart; to have memorized perfectly: To have learned something so thoroughly that one can recall or recite it accurately, fluently, and without hesitation.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Học sinh thuộc làu bài thơ. (The student knows the poem by heart.)
- Cô ấy thuộc làu số điện thoại của tất cả bạn bè. (She has all her friends' phone numbers memorized perfectly.)
- Để diễn xuất tự nhiên, diễn viên phải thuộc làu kịch bản. (To act naturally, an actor must know the script by heart.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase implies a level of mastery beyond simple memorization ("thuộc"), suggesting effortless, automatic recall. It is often used for texts, speeches, rules, or sequences that require precise reproduction.
Variants and Related Words
- Thuộc (v): to have learned or memorized (a general term, not implying the same level of fluency as "thuộc làu").
- Tôi mới chỉ thuộc tên các nước. (I have only just memorized the names of the countries.)
Synonyms
- To know by rote: To have learned something through repetition.
- To have down pat: To know or have learned something perfectly.
- To be word-perfect: To know a text so well one can repeat it exactly.
Related Idioms
- Thuộc như cháo chảy: An idiom meaning "to know something like the back of one's hand" or "to know something inside out," emphasizing even greater fluency and ease than "thuộc làu."
- Anh ấy thuộc như cháo chảy luật giao thông. (He knows the traffic laws inside out.)