Definition

1. Noun:
   • A wheel rut or track: The mark or groove left in a soft surface, such as mud or dirt, by the wheel of a vehicle.
   • A figurative path or precedent: A course of action, method, or tradition that has been established before and is often followed.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Con đường đất đầy những vết xe. (The dirt road is full of wheel ruts.)
  • Công ty mới chỉ đi theo vết xe của đối thủ. (The new company is merely following in the tracks of its competitor.)

Advanced Usage

• "theo vết xe cũ": To follow the old rut; to follow a pre-existing, often outdated, method or tradition without innovation.
  • Chúng ta không nên theo vết xe cũ mà phải tìm cách làm mới. (We should not follow the old rut but must find a way to innovate.)

Variants and Related Words

• Vết lún (n): An indentation or depression, often caused by weight or pressure.
• Đường mòn (n): A path or trail.

Synonyms

• Rut: A deep track made by the repeated passage of wheels.
• Groove: A long, narrow cut or depression.
• Track: A mark or line of marks left by a moving person, animal, or vehicle.
• Precedent: An earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide.

Related Idioms

• Theo vết xe đổ: Literally "to follow the overturned cart's tracks"; to repeat someone else's failure or mistake.
  • Anh đừng theo vết xe đổ của người đi trước. (Don't follow the failure of those who went before you.)