Definition

1. Noun:
   • Signs of activity or movement; commotion: Refers to observable changes, movements, or disturbances that indicate something is happening or about to happen.
   • Change in a situation; development: Indicates a shift or alteration in the state of affairs, often requiring attention or a response.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong đêm khuya thanh vắng, một chút động tĩnh cũng đủ làm giật mình. (In the quiet late night, the slightest commotion is enough to startle.)
  • Cả ngày qua, trong nhà không có một động tĩnh gì. (All day long, there was not a single sign of activity in the house.)
  • Anh ta ngồi im lặng quan sát mọi động tĩnh của đối thủ. (He sat silently observing every move of his opponent.)

Advanced Usage

• "Theo dõi động tĩnh": to monitor developments; to keep an eye on the situation.

  • Cảnh sát được lệnh theo dõi mọi động tĩnh của nghi phạm. (The police were ordered to monitor every development from the suspect.)

• "Không một động tĩnh": not a single movement/sound; complete stillness.

  • Căn phòng yên lặng, không một động tĩnh. (The room was silent, with not a single sound.)

Variants and Related Words

• Động (v/n): to move; movement. (e.g., - to stir)
• Tĩnh (adj): still; quiet; static. (e.g., - tranquil)
• Biến động (n): fluctuation; upheaval. (A stronger term indicating significant change or turmoil.)

Synonyms

• Dấu hiệu: sign; indication.
• Sự xáo động: disturbance; agitation.
• Sự chuyển biến: change; transformation.

Related Phrases

• Động tĩnh lưỡng nghi (Idiom/Philosophical Term): A concept in Eastern philosophy representing the two fundamental, complementary states of "movement" and "stillness," akin to yin and yang.
  • Âm dương, động tĩnh là những quy luật cơ bản của vũ trụ. (Yin-yang and movement-stillness are fundamental principles of the universe.)

Notes on Usage

• "Động tĩnh" is primarily used in formal, literary, or descriptive contexts. In everyday spoken Vietnamese, simpler words like (sound) or (movement) are more common for similar meanings.
• It often carries a connotation of something noteworthy or requiring vigilance, especially in the context of security or observation.
• The word is a compound of the two opposite concepts (movement) and (stillness), together implying "any change from a state of quiet."

1. Stir, commotion
   • Thấy có động tĩnh gì thì báo tin ngay cho biết
     At the slightest commotion, please send information at once