đánh cờ
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To play chess: The primary meaning of "đánh cờ" is to engage in the board game of chess, involving strategic moves of pieces like the king, queen, rooks, bishops, knights, and pawns.
- To play board games (general): In a broader, more colloquial sense, "đánh cờ" can refer to playing various traditional Vietnamese or Chinese board games that involve pieces on a grid, such as "cờ tướng" (Chinese chess) or "cờ vây" (Go).
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Bố tôi thích đánh cờ vào cuối tuần. (My father likes to play chess on weekends.)
- Họ đang đánh cờ tướng trong công viên. (They are playing Chinese chess in the park.)
- Đánh cờ giúp rèn luyện tư duy chiến lược. (Playing chess helps train strategic thinking.)
Advanced Usage
- "đánh cờ người": Refers to a large-scale, performative version of chess or board games where people act as the pieces on an outdoor field.
- Lễ hội làng có màn đánh cờ người rất hấp dẫn. (The village festival has a very captivating human chess performance.)
Variants and Related Words
Cờ vua (n): Chess (specifically Western/international chess).
- Cờ vua là môn thể thao trí tuệ. (Chess is a mind sport.)
Cờ tướng (n): Chinese chess (Xiangqi).
- Luật chơi cờ tướng khác với cờ vua. (The rules of Chinese chess are different from chess.)
Cờ vây (n): Go (the board game).
- Cờ vây là một trò chơi cổ của Trung Quốc. (Go is an ancient Chinese game.)
Cờ cá ngựa (n): A board game similar to Ludo or Parcheesi.
- Trẻ con thường chơi cờ cá ngựa. (Children often play Ludo.)
Synonyms
- Play chess: The direct equivalent for the most common meaning.
- Play a board game: A more general synonym for the broader usage.
Related Idioms and Phrases
Cao cờ: To be cunning, shrewd, or a skilled strategist (literally "high chess").
- Đối thủ đó rất cao cờ. (That opponent is very shrewd.)
Nước cờ: A chess move; metaphorically, a strategic step or maneuver.
- Đó là một nước cờ khôn ngoan trong đàm phán. (That was a wise move in the negotiation.)