Definition

1. Adjective (used as an adverbial phrase):
   • Bare-chested, stripped to the waist: Describes the state of having the upper body uncovered, typically to perform strenuous physical labor without hindrance or due to intense heat.
   • With utmost effort, straining every nerve: Figuratively describes exerting maximum physical or mental effort, often to the point of sweating and exhaustion, to complete a demanding task.

Usage Examples

• Literal (Physical):

  • Anh công nhân xoay trần làm việc dưới nắng nóng. (The worker worked bare-chested under the hot sun.)
  • Họ xoay trần đẩy chiếc xe bị lầy. (They pushed the stuck car, stripped to the waist.)

• Figurative (Intense Effort):

  • Nhóm nghiên cứu xoay trần viết báo cáo cho kịp hạn chót. (The research team strained every nerve to write the report to meet the deadline.)
  • Anh ấy xoay trần code cả đêm để sửa lỗi phần mềm. (He coded with utmost effort all night to fix the software bug.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often implies a sense of urgency, difficulty, and total dedication to a task, conjuring an image of someone working so hard they are sweating profusely, as if they had removed their shirt to cool down.
• It can be used humorously or hyperbolically for mental tasks (like writing or studying) that require intense concentration and effort, not just physical labor.

Variants and Related Words

• Cởi trần (v/phr): To take off one's shirt, to be bare-chested. This is the literal action, while "xoay trần" describes the state or manner of doing something.
  • Trời nóng quá, anh ấy cởi trần. (It was too hot, so he took off his shirt.)

Synonyms

• Bare-chested: Having the chest uncovered.
• With all one's might: Using all one's strength and power.
• To sweat blood: To work extremely hard (idiomatic, similar figurative sense).

Related Idioms

• Đổ mồ hôi sôi nước mắt: To shed sweat and tears; to work extremely hard.

  • Họ đổ mồ hôi sôi nước mắt để xây dựng cơ nghiệp. (They shed sweat and tears to build their career.)

• Lăn lộn: To struggle, to grapple with difficulties (often in work or life).

  • Anh ấy lăn lộn nhiều năm trong ngành xây dựng. (He struggled for many years in the construction industry.)