vồ ếch
Definition
- Verb (slang):
- To take a spill; to fall down: To fall over, often in a clumsy or awkward manner, resulting in the person landing on the ground.
- To fail spectacularly; to flop: To experience a significant and often embarrassing failure, especially in an attempt to do something.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Anh ta trượt chân trên vỏ chuối và vồ ếch ngay giữa phố. (He slipped on a banana peel and took a spill right in the middle of the street.)
- Kế hoạch kinh doanh mới của họ đã vồ ếch hoàn toàn. (Their new business plan completely flopped.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is vivid and informal, often used to describe a fall that is sudden, ungraceful, and somewhat comical to observers. It can be extended metaphorically to describe any endeavor that ends in a sudden and total failure.
Variants and Related Words
Ngã (v): to fall. This is the standard, neutral term for falling.
- Đứa bé bị ngã từ trên ghế. (The child fell from the chair.)
Té (v): to fall (colloquial). Similar to "ngã" but more common in Southern Vietnamese speech.
- Cẩn thận kẻo té! (Be careful or you'll fall!)
Synonyms
- To fall down: To collapse to the ground.
- To take a tumble: To fall, especially in a clumsy way (less vulgar).
- To flop: To fail completely.
Related Idioms
Chết giấc: to faint; to be knocked out. While not a direct synonym, it shares the connotation of an abrupt loss of upright posture.
- Nghe tin sốc, bà ấy suýt chết giấc. (Hearing the shocking news, she almost fainted.)
Thất bại thảm hại: to fail miserably. This is a more formal equivalent for the metaphorical use of "vồ ếch."
- Đội bóng thất bại thảm hại với tỉ số 0-5. (The soccer team failed miserably with a score of 0-5.)