xóc thẻ
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To draw lots / to draw fortune sticks: The primary meaning of "xóc thẻ" refers to a traditional ritualistic or superstitious practice of shaking a container (like a tube or box) holding marked sticks or tokens until one falls out, which is then interpreted to reveal a fortune, fate, or answer.
- To draw a divination slip: It describes the act of performing a form of divination by causing a single slip or lot to be selected randomly from a set through shaking.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Mọi người đến đền thờ để xóc thẻ, cầu mong biết trước vận mệnh. (People come to the temple to draw lots, hoping to know their fate in advance.)
- Bà ấy xóc thẻ để xem việc kinh doanh sắp tới có thuận lợi không. (She drew a divination slip to see if the upcoming business venture would be favorable.)
Advanced Usage
- The practice is commonly associated with East Asian spiritual contexts, such as in temples or pagodas, where the drawn stick corresponds to a specific printed fortune or oracle.
- It implies a belief in supernatural guidance or random chance determining an outcome, rather than a game of pure sport.
Variants and Related Words
Rút thẻ (v): to draw a card/slip. This can be a more general term for drawing a card, not necessarily involving the shaking ritual.
- Anh ấy rút thẻ bài từ bộ bài. (He drew a card from the deck.)
Bói toán (n/v): fortune-telling, divination. This is the broader category of practices that includes "xóc thẻ."
- Bói toán không phải lúc nào cũng đúng. (Fortune-telling is not always accurate.)
Synonyms
- Draw lots: To make a decision or prediction by choosing something randomly.
- Cast lots: A more archaic term for deciding something by chance.
- Perform divination: To seek knowledge of the future through supernatural means.
Related Idioms
- While "xóc thẻ" itself is a specific action, it is conceptually linked to idioms about fate and chance.
- Cầu may rút thẻ: Literally "to pray for luck and draw a slip," meaning to try one's luck in an uncertain situation.
- Việc này khó đoán, chúng ta chỉ còn cách cầu may rút thẻ thôi. (This matter is hard to predict; we can only try our luck.)