toé

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To splash, to spatter, to scatter: Describes a liquid or small particles being dispersed forcefully in multiple directions, often from an impact or sudden release of pressure.
   • To scatter, to disperse (of people or animals): Describes a group of people or animals suddenly and quickly moving apart in different directions, often in a chaotic manner.

Usage Examples

• Verb (liquid/splatter):
  • Xe chạy qua vũng nước làm nước tóe lên. (The car drove through the puddle, causing water to splash up.)
  • Dầu nóng tóe ra khi cho cá vào chảo. (Hot oil spattered when the fish was put into the pan.)
• Verb (people/disperse):
  • Nghe tiếng cảnh sát, bọn trộm tóe ra các ngả. (Hearing the police, the thieves scattered in all directions.)
  • Đàn gà tóe ra khi có tiếng động mạnh. (The flock of chickens scattered at the loud noise.)

Advanced Usage

• "tóe lửa": to spray sparks.
  • Máy hàn tóe lửa. (The welder sprays sparks.)
• "tóe máu": to spatter blood.
  • Vết thương khiến máu tóe ra. (The wound caused blood to spatter.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bắn tóe (v): to splash out, to spatter out (emphasizing the action of being ejected).
  • Bùn bắn tóe lên tường. (Mud splattered onto the wall.)
• Tóe loe (adj): describes something splayed out or spread wide open, like toes or the end of a trumpet.
  • Ngón chân tóe loe. (Splayed toes.)

Synonyms

• Splash: (for liquid) to cause a liquid to fly about in drops.
• Spatter: to scatter or splash in small particles.
• Disperse: (for a group) to go or distribute in different directions.

Related Idioms

• Chạy tóe khói: to run extremely fast, literally "to run until smoke scatters."
  • Nó chạy tóe khói để kịp giờ. (He ran incredibly fast to be on time.)
• Cười tóe nước mắt: to laugh until one cries, literally "to laugh until tears spatter."
  • Câu chuyện hài khiến mọi người cười tóe nước mắt. (The funny story made everyone laugh until they cried.)