Definition

1. Verb:

   • To slip in/into quickly and neatly: Describes the action of moving or entering a place swiftly, smoothly, and often stealthily.
   • To insert something quickly and neatly: Describes the action of putting an object into something else in a swift, smooth motion.

2. Adjective:

   • Lame, having a limp: Describes a person or limb that is impaired, especially a leg that is shorter or withered, causing a limping gait.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Con mèo thọt vào gầm giường khi nghe thấy tiếng động. (The cat slipped neatly under the bed upon hearing a noise.)
  • Nó thọt bức thư vào túi áo trước khi ai đó nhìn thấy. (He slipped the letter neatly into his shirt pocket before anyone saw.)
• Adjective:
  • Sau tai nạn, ông ấy đi lại bị thọt một chân. (After the accident, he walks with a lame leg.)
  • Chú chó nhỏ có chân sau bị thọt. (The small dog has a lame hind leg.)

Advanced Usage

• "thọt vào": to slip into (a place).
  • Tên trộm thọt vào nhà lúc nửa đêm. (The thief slipped into the house at midnight.)
• "thọt ra thọt vào": to slip in and out repeatedly; to move furtively.
  • Đứa bé cứ thọt ra thọt vào trong bếp. (The child kept slipping in and out of the kitchen.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tọt: A near-synonym verb, also meaning to go/enter quickly and directly. It can sometimes be used interchangeably with "thọt" but may imply a more direct, less stealthy entry.
  • Nó chạy tọt vào trong nhà. (He ran straight into the house.)
• Thọt lọt: An emphatic or reduplicative form emphasizing the smooth, successful act of slipping into a tight or confined space.
  • Chiếc chìa khóa thọt lọt vào ổ. (The key slipped neatly into the lock.)

Synonyms

• Verb: Lách (to squeeze through), len (to sneak), chui (to crawl into, often for low spaces).
• Adjective: Què (crippled, lame), tập tễnh (limping).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Thọt tay vào: to slip one's hand into (e.g., a pocket, bag).
  • Nó thọt tay vào túi quần lấy điện thoại. (He slipped his hand into his pants pocket to get his phone.)
• Thọt chân: can literally mean to slip a foot into (e.g., a shoe), or figuratively, to have a lame foot.
  • Cậu bé thọt chân vào đôi giày mới. (The boy slipped his foot into the new shoes.)

Related Idioms

• (Không có a highly specific, fixed idiom for "thọt"). However, the concept is often used in descriptive phrases about stealth or lameness, as shown in the examples above.

verb

1. to slip neatly

adj

1. lame