tiêm lửa
Definition
- Verb (archaic, literary):
- To ignite a fire; to kindle: The literal meaning refers to the act of starting a fire using a tool like a flint or a fire starter.
- To incite; to inflame; to provoke: The figurative and more common meaning is to stir up strong emotions, passions, or conflicts, such as anger, enthusiasm, or discord.
Usage Examples
- Verb (Literal):
- Người xưa dùng đá lửa để tiêm lửa. (The ancients used flint to ignite a fire.)
- Verb (Figurative):
- Bài diễn văn đó có mục đích tiêm lửa vào đám đông. (That speech aimed to inflame the crowd.)
- Hắn cố tình tiêm lửa mâu thuẫn giữa hai người. (He deliberately incited conflict between the two.)
Advanced Usage
- This word is primarily used in literary, historical, or formal contexts. In modern everyday Vietnamese, words like "châm lửa" (to light a fire) or "khích động" (to incite) are more common for the literal and figurative meanings, respectively.
Variants and Related Words
- Châm lửa (v): to light a fire (modern equivalent for the literal action).
- Khích động (v): to incite, to provoke (modern equivalent for the figurative action).
- Kích thích (v): to stimulate (generally, not necessarily negative).
Synonyms
- Ignite: to cause to start burning.
- Incite: to encourage or stir up (violent or unlawful behavior).
- Provoke: to stimulate or give rise to (a reaction or emotion, typically a strong or unwelcome one).
- Inflame: to provoke or intensify strong feelings.
Related Idioms
- While "tiêm lửa" itself is not commonly part of a fixed idiom, its meaning is closely related to the concept of:
- Thêm dầu vào lửa: to add fuel to the fire (to make a bad situation worse).
- Lời nói của anh ta như thêm dầu vào lửa. (His words were like adding fuel to the fire.)