từ động
Definition
Adjective:
- Self-acting / automatic: Describes a mechanism, device, or process that operates or starts by itself without direct human intervention, often triggered by an internal condition or external stimulus.
Adjective (technical):
- Electromotive / magnetomotive: A specialized technical term relating to the property of causing or producing electrical or magnetic motion or force.
Usage Examples
Adjective (Self-acting):
- Cửa này mở từ động khi có người đến gần. (This door opens automatically when someone approaches.)
- Hệ thống tưới nước từ động rất tiện lợi. (The automatic irrigation system is very convenient.)
Adjective (Technical):
- Đây là một thiết bị có tính từ động cao. (This is a device with high magnetomotive properties.)
Advanced Usage
- Used in formal or technical contexts to describe systems, engineering principles, or physical properties related to self-operation or motive force.
Variants and Related Words
Tự động hóa (n): automation.
- Tự động hóa đã thay đổi ngành sản xuất. (Automation has changed the manufacturing industry.)
Tự động (adj): automatic. (Note: "tự động" is the more common and standard term for "automatic" in modern Vietnamese. "Từ động" is a less common, sometimes technical variant.)
- Máy giặt tự động. (An automatic washing machine.)
Synonyms
- Automatic: operating by itself.
- Self-acting: functioning independently.
- Electromotive: producing electric current.
Notes on Usage
- The word "từ động" is rare in everyday modern Vietnamese. The common and correct term for "automatic" is almost always "tự động". "Từ động" may be encountered in older texts or very specific technical jargon, potentially as a translation of "magnetomotive" or similar terms. Learners should prioritize using "tự động".