tru
Definition
- Verb:
- To howl: To emit a long, loud, mournful cry, typically associated with certain animals like dogs or wolves.
- To yell / to shriek: To let out a loud, sharp cry of pain, anger, or extreme emotion.
- To kill (archaic, literary): To put to death. This meaning is almost exclusively found in the fixed, proverbial expression "trời tru đất diệt".
Usage Examples
- Verb (to howl/yell):
- Con chó tru lên mỗi đêm. (The dog howls every night.)
- Đứa bé đau quá, tru lên. (The child was in so much pain, he shrieked.)
- Verb (to kill - in fixed expression):
- Kẻ phản bội ấy, trời tru đất diệt! (May heaven and earth destroy that traitor!)
Advanced Usage
- The verb "tru" is considered literary and dramatic. In modern spoken Vietnamese, "hú" (to howl) or "gào thét" (to yell/scream) are more common for its primary meanings.
- The usage meaning "to kill" is obsolete outside of the curse/imprecation "trời tru đất diệt", which is a powerful expression wishing for divine punishment and annihilation.
Variants and Related Words
- Tru tréo (v): to scream, to shriek loudly and shrilly (often in protest or complaint).
- Nó tru tréo lên khi bị mất đồ chơi. (He screamed shrilly when he lost his toy.)
Synonyms
- Howl: to make a long, loud, crying sound (like a wolf or dog).
- Shriek: to utter a sharp, high-pitched cry.
- Yell: to shout loudly.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Trời tru đất diệt: A severe curse meaning "May heaven and earth destroy/kill [you/him/etc.]". It expresses utter condemnation and a wish for divine retribution.
- Tên tội phạm tàn ác đó đáng bị trời tru đất diệt. (That cruel criminal deserves to be cursed and destroyed by heaven and earth.)