Definition

Noun: 1. Starch; flour: A fine, powdery substance obtained by grinding grains, tubers, or legumes. It is a primary source of carbohydrates and a common ingredient in cooking. 2. Powder: Any substance in the form of very fine, dry particles.

Usage

The word bột is a common noun. It is often used to refer to ingredients in cooking and baking, or to describe the powdery form of various substances.

Examples

1. Referring to starch or flour:

   • Mẹ mua bột mì để làm bánh. (Mom bought wheat flour to make a cake.)
   • Gạo được xay thành bột. (Rice is ground into flour.)
   • Khoai lang này có nhiều bột. (This sweet potato is very starchy.)

2. Referring to powder:

   • Viên thuốc được nghiền nát thành bột. (The pill was crushed into powder.)
   • Anh ấy mua sữa bột cho em bé. (He bought powdered milk for the baby.)
   • Công nhân dùng vôi bột để quét tường. (The workers used powdered lime to whitewash the wall.)

Advanced Usage

• Có bột mới gột nên hồ: (Idiom) Literally "You must have flour to make paste." It means you need the necessary resources or foundation to accomplish something.
• Bột ngọt: Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer. (Note: This is a compound noun listed as a variant).
• The word bột can function as a noun adjunct in compound nouns to specify the type of powder or flour.

Variants and Related Words

• Bột mì (n): Wheat flour.
• Bột gạo (n): Rice flour.
• Bột ngô (n): Cornstarch; corn flour.
• Bột năng (n): Tapioca starch.
• Bột nở (n): Baking powder.
• Bột ngọt (n): Monosodium glutamate (MSG).
• Bột giặt (n): Laundry detergent powder.
• Cá bột (n): Fry (very young fish).

Synonyms

• Bột (as flour): None are perfect synonyms, but related terms include tinh bột (starch) for the carbohydrate component.
• Bột (as powder): Bụi (dust), phấn (powder, often for cosmetic or chalk).

Related Phrases

• Xay bột: To grind into flour.
• Nghiền thành bột: To pulverize/crush into powder.
• Rắc bột: To sprinkle powder.
• Bó bột: (Medical) To apply a cast (using plaster of Paris).

Related Idioms

• Có bột mới gột nên hồ: As mentioned above, this idiom emphasizes the importance of having the essential materials or conditions to succeed.

noun

1. Starch, flour
   • loại khoai lắm bột
     a kind of very starchy sweet potato
   • xay bột gạo
     to grind rice into flour
   • cho trẻ ăn bột
     to feed a child on rice flour soup
   • bột mì
     wheat flour
2. Powder
   • nghiền viên thuốc thành bột
     to grind a tablet of medicine to powder
   • sữa bột
     powdered milk
   • vôi bột
     powdered lime