đổi dòng
Definition
Verb:
- To change course (of a river or stream): This refers to a natural waterway, such as a river or creek, shifting its main path or channel over time, often due to erosion, sedimentation, or flooding.
- To meander / to divert: Describes the action of a river's flow altering its direction, which can be a gradual, natural process or a sudden diversion.
Verb (figurative use):
- To change direction (of thought, conversation, or events): Used metaphorically to describe a significant shift in the course of discussion, ideas, plans, or a situation.
Usage Examples
Verb (literal):
- Con sông đã đổi dòng sau trận lũ lớn. (The river changed its course after the major flood.)
- Địa hình bị xói mòn khiến dòng suối đổi dòng. (Erosion of the terrain caused the stream to meander.)
Verb (figurative):
- Cuộc họp đột ngột đổi dòng khi có tin mới. (The meeting suddenly changed direction when new information arrived.)
- Anh ấy đổi dòng suy nghĩ sau lời khuyên đó. (He changed the course of his thinking after that advice.)
Advanced Usage
- Technical/Geographical Context: In geography and environmental science, "đổi dòng" describes the natural process of river channel migration or avulsion.
- Hiện tượng đổi dòng liên tục tạo nên các đồng bằng châu thổ. (The constant phenomenon of changing course creates delta plains.)
Variants and Related Words
Chuyển dòng (v): to divert a flow (often more intentional or engineered than "đổi dòng").
- Dự án chuyển dòng nước để phục vụ tưới tiêu. (The project diverts water flow for irrigation.)
Đổi hướng (v): to change direction (general term, not specific to waterways).
- Xe buýt phải đổi hướng vì đường bị tắc. (The bus had to change direction because the road was blocked.)
Synonyms
- To change course: To alter the path or direction.
- To meander: To follow a winding and turning course.
- To shift: To move or change position or direction.
- To diverge: To depart from a set course or path.
Related Idioms
Note: "Đổi dòng" itself is not commonly used in fixed idiomatic expressions. Its figurative use is the extension of its literal meaning.