như thuyền không lái

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Like a boat without a rudder — motion entirely at the current's discretion.

Literally: as a rudderless boat
Sources & notes

Discovered via Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.

Common questions

What does “như thuyền không lái” mean?

Like a boat without a rudder — motion entirely at the current's discretion. Literally: as a rudderless boat

Is “như thuyền không lái” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.