Definition

1. Noun:

   • A written or composed work: A complete, self-contained piece of writing or composition, such as an essay, article, or poem.
   • A lesson or unit of study: A distinct section of material to be taught or learned in an educational or training program.
   • A prescribed set of medicinal ingredients: A formula or recipe for a traditional herbal remedy, specifying the ingredients and their proportions.
   • A playing card: One of a set of rectangular pieces of stiff paper used in card games.
   • A course of action, a method, a trick: A plan, strategy, or way of handling a situation.

2. Verb (archaic/idiomatic):

   • To oppose, to reject: To be against something or to eliminate it.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Written work):
  • Cô ấy viết một bài luận rất hay. (She wrote a very good essay.)
  • Tôi đọc một bài báo về kinh tế. (I read an article about economics.)
• Noun (Lesson):
  • Hôm nay chúng ta học bài mới. (Today we are learning a new lesson.)
  • Giáo viên giao bài tập về nhà. (The teacher assigned homework.)
• Noun (Medicine):
  • Ông lang có bài thuốc gia truyền chữa đau lưng. (The herbalist has a family recipe for a backache remedy.)
• Noun (Playing card):
  • Anh ấy rút một bài từ bộ bài. (He drew a card from the deck.)
  • Họ thích chơi bài vào cuối tuần. (They like to play cards on weekends.)
• Noun (Course of action):
  • Hắn tính bài chuồn ngay từ đầu. (He planned the trick of fleeing from the very beginning.)
  • Trong tình huống đó, chỉ còn bài im lặng. (In that situation, the only course of action left was to keep silent.)
• Verb (To oppose):
  • Tư tưởng bài ngoại là có hại. (Xenophobic ideology is harmful.)

Advanced Usage

• "đánh bài":
  • Literally means "to strike/hit cards," it is the common phrase for "to play cards."
  • Cả gia đình quây quần đánh bài. (The whole family gathers to play cards.)
• "đánh bài lờ":
  • An idiom meaning "to play the ignorant/dumb card," i.e., to pretend not to know or notice something.
  • Anh ta đánh bài lờ khi tôi hỏi về chuyện đó. (He played dumb when I asked about that matter.)
• "tính bài":
  • Means "to calculate a plan/method," to figure out a course of action.
  • Chúng ta phải tính bài cẩn thận trước khi hành động. (We must carefully calculate our plan before acting.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bài vở (n): Colloquial term referring to schoolwork, lessons, or study materials.
  • Học sinh có quá nhiều bài vở. (The students have too much schoolwork.)
• Bài bản (n): Refers to a proper method, pattern, or established procedure, often in arts or crafts.
  • Cô ấy hát có bài bản. (She sings with proper technique/method.)
• Bài trí (v): To arrange, to decorate (a space).
  • Họ bài trí căn phòng thật đẹp. (They decorated the room beautifully.)
• Bài ngoại (adj/verb): To be anti-foreign, xenophobic.
• Bài trừ (v): To eliminate, to eradicate (often negative things like social evils).

Synonyms

• Tác phẩm: Work, composition (for a written/artistic work).
• Bài học: Lesson (for an educational unit).
• Đơn thuốc: Prescription (for a modern medical prescription; "bài thuốc" is more traditional/herbal).
• Quân bài: Playing card (specifically a card in a game).
• Kế, phương án: Plan, scheme (for a course of action).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Chia bài: To deal cards.
  • Đến lượt ai chia bài? (Whose turn is it to deal the cards?)
• Xào bài: To shuffle cards.
  • Trước khi chơi, phải xào bài kỹ. (Before playing, you must shuffle the cards thoroughly.)
• Tính bài chuồn: To plan/calculate a way to escape or slip away.
  • Thấy không khí căng thẳng, nó tính bài chuồn. (Seeing the tense atmosphere, he planned his escape.)

Related Idioms

• "Có bài bản": To be methodical, to do things in a proper, systematic way.
  • Anh thợ làm việc rất có bài bản. (The craftsman works very methodically.)
• "Lật bài ngửa": To reveal one's hand/cards (literally and figuratively), to show one's true intentions or situation.
  • Đã đến lúc phải lật bài ngửa. (It's time to show our hand/reveal the truth.)

noun

1. Tag, tablet
2. Card, card-game
   • đánh bài
     to play cards
   • cỗ bài
     pack of cards
3. Resort, course of action
   • "chiến, hoà, sắp sẵn hai bài"
     war or peace, both courses of action are open
   • đánh bài lờ
     to turn a deaf ear and blind eye to it
   • tính bài chuồn
     to consider flight as the only resort
4. Lesson
   • bài lịch sử
     history lesson