Definitions

1. Noun:
   • Water hyacinth: A free-floating aquatic plant native to South America but widely naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions, including Vietnam. It is known for its rapid growth, beautiful lavender flowers, and its tendency to form dense mats on the surface of water bodies.
   • Japanese duckweed: A direct translation of the Vietnamese name, referring to the same plant. The name likely originates from its introduction or association with East Asia, despite the plant's South American origin.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Mặt hồ bị phủ kín bởi bèo Nhật Bản. (The lake surface is completely covered by water hyacinth.)
  • Bèo Nhật Bản có hoa màu tím rất đẹp. (Water hyacinth has very beautiful purple flowers.)
  • Người nông dân đang vớt bèo Nhật Bản để làm phân xanh. (The farmer is collecting water hyacinth to make green manure.)

Advanced Usage

• Ecological Context: Often discussed in terms of being an invasive species that clogs waterways, but also studied for its potential uses in phytoremediation (cleaning water pollutants) and biofuel production.
  • Việc kiểm soát sự phát triển của bèo Nhật Bản là một thách thức lớn. (Controlling the growth of water hyacinth is a major challenge.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bèo tây: Another common Vietnamese name for the same plant, meaning "western duckweed."
• Bèo lục bình: Another synonym used in some regions of Vietnam.
• Lục bình: A shortened, common form of "bèo lục bình."
• Water hyacinth: The standard English term.

Synonyms

• Eichhornia crassipes: The scientific (Latin) name for the plant.

Related Phrases

• Xử lý bèo Nhật Bản: To treat/manage water hyacinth.
  • Thành phố đang tìm cách xử lý bèo Nhật Bản trên sông. (The city is finding ways to manage water hyacinth on the river.)
• Thảm bèo Nhật Bản: A mat of water hyacinth.
  • Thảm bèo Nhật Bản ngăn cản tàu thuyền đi lại. (The mat of water hyacinth prevents boats from passing.)

1. Water hyacinth