Definition

1. Noun:
   • The rear part of a ship or boat: The section at the back of a vessel, opposite the bow (front). This is the primary and most common meaning.
   • The rear section of a train: The last carriage or the back end of a train. This usage is less common than the maritime one.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Thủy thủ đứng ở đuôi tàu. (The sailor is standing at the stern of the ship.)
  • Cờ được treo ở đuôi tàu. (The flag is flown at the stern.)
  • Hành khách ngồi ở toa đuôi tàu. (Passengers are sitting in the rear carriage of the train.)

Advanced Usage

• "Đuôi tàu" in figurative language: Can be used metaphorically to describe the last or trailing part of something in a sequence.
  • Đội của chúng tôi đang ở vị trí đuôi tàu của bảng xếp hạng. (Our team is in the bottom/last position of the ranking table.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mũi tàu (n): The bow (front) of a ship.
• Lái tàu (n): This means "to steer/pilot a ship" or "ship's helmsman." It is related to the steering mechanism, which is historically located at the stern.
• Đuôi (n): A general word for "tail" (of an animal) or "end" (of an object).

Synonyms

• Phần sau của tàu: The rear part of the ship (descriptive synonym).
• Hậu tàu (n): A more formal or technical term for the stern.

Related Phrases

• "Chạy theo đuôi": Literally "to run after the tail," meaning to follow slavishly or imitate without critical thought. While it uses "đuôi" (tail), it is not specific to "đuôi tàu."
  • Anh ấy luôn chạy theo đuôi người khác. (He always just follows others.)

Related Idioms

• "Đầu tàu": Literally "the head of the train," used idiomatically to mean the leader or vanguard of a movement or organization. This is the conceptual opposite of "đuôi tàu."
  • Công ty đó là đầu tàu của ngành công nghiệp. (That company is the leader of the industry.)

1. Stern