thổi lò
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To blow into a furnace/oven: The literal action of forcefully blowing air into a furnace, stove, or oven, typically to stoke a fire, increase its heat, or ignite it. This often involves using a tool like a bellows or one's mouth.
- To work as a furnace stoker: By extension, it can refer to the job or act of tending to a furnace, such as in a traditional blacksmith's forge or a boiler room.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Người thợ rèn đang thổi lò để làm nóng sắt. (The blacksmith is blowing into the forge to heat the iron.)
- Công việc của ông ấy là thổi lò cho nồi hơi. (His job is to stoke the boiler furnace.)
Advanced Usage
- This phrase is specific to contexts involving traditional fire management for heating, metalworking, or industrial purposes. It is less common in modern, automated settings.
Variants and Related Words
- Thổi bếp (v): to blow on a kitchen stove/fire. This is used for smaller, domestic fires.
- Cô ấy ngồi thổi bếp cho lửa cháy to hơn. (She sat blowing on the kitchen fire to make it bigger.)
Synonyms
- Stoke a furnace: To add fuel or air to a fire to make it burn more intensely.
- Tend a forge: To manage and maintain the fire in a blacksmith's forge.
Related Idioms
- While "thổi lò" itself is not commonly used idiomatically, the concept is related to hard, manual labor.
- Công việc nặng nhọc như thổi lò. (Work as hard as stoking a furnace.)