Definition

1. Verb:
   • To challenge, to dare: To invite someone to do something difficult or to prove they can do something, often to test their ability or knowledge.
   • To quiz, to pose a riddle: To ask a question, often tricky or puzzling, to see if someone knows the answer.

Usage Examples

• Verb (to challenge):

  • Tôi đố anh leo lên được cái cây này. (I dare you to climb this tree.)
  • Nó đố tôi uống hết cốc nước một hơi. (He challenged me to drink the whole glass of water in one go.)

• Verb (to quiz, to pose a riddle):

  • Bố tôi thường đố tôi những câu đố vui. (My father often quizzes me with fun riddles.)
  • "Đố bạn biết đây là con gì?" ("Quiz: do you know what animal this is?")

Advanced Usage

• "Đố ai...": A common phrase used to introduce a challenge or an impossible-seeming task, often found in proverbs and folk poetry.
  • Đố ai lặn xuống vực sâu, mà đo miệng cá, uốn câu cho vừa. (I challenge anyone to dive into the deep abyss and measure the fish's mouth to bend the hook to fit.) – A proverb highlighting an impossible task.

Variants and Related Words

• Câu đố (n): A riddle, a puzzle.

  • Giải câu đố này rất khó. (Solving this riddle is very difficult.)

• Thách đố (v/n): To challenge; a challenge (more formal/literary than "đố").

  • Đó là một thách đố lớn đối với anh ấy. (That is a great challenge for him.)

• Đố kỵ (adj): To be jealous, envious (a compound word where "đố" carries a sense of resentful comparison).

  • Đừng nên đố kỵ với thành công của người khác. (You shouldn't be envious of others' success.)

Synonyms

• Thách (v): To challenge, to dare.
• Hỏi khó (v): To ask a difficult question (to quiz).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Đố tài: To challenge someone's skill or talent.
  • Hai kỳ thủ đang đố tài nhau trên bàn cờ. (The two chess players are challenging each other's skill on the chessboard.)

Related Idioms

• Giàu nứt đố đổ vách: (Literally: So rich the wall beams crack and the wall collapses). An idiom describing immense wealth.
• Đốt đền: (Literally: To burn the temple). An idiom meaning to break a promise or betray someone after achieving one's goal. (Note: This idiom uses "đốt" (to burn), not "đố". It is listed here due to potential confusion from similar spelling).

verb

1. to defy
   • đố kỵ
     To envy