Definition

Noun: 1. A type of steamed bun or dumpling: A food item made from leavened wheat flour dough, steamed until cooked, typically containing a savory or sweet filling. 2. (Slang, informal) A gullible or easily deceived person: A colloquial term used to describe someone who is naive or easily tricked.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Food):
  • Sáng nay tôi ăn hai cái bánh bao. (This morning I ate two steamed buns.)
  • Bánh bao nhân thịt là món ăn sáng phổ biến. (Pork-filled steamed buns are a popular breakfast food.)
• Noun (Slang):
  • Đừng có tin lời nó, mày là đồ bánh bao à? (Don't believe him, are you a gullible fool?)
  • Hắn ta bị lừa như một thằng bánh bao. (He was tricked like a total sucker.)

Advanced Usage

• "bánh bao chay": A vegetarian version of the steamed bun, often filled with mushrooms, glass noodles, and vegetables.
  • Vào ngày rằm, bà tôi thường làm bánh bao chay. (On the full moon day, my grandmother often makes vegetarian steamed buns.)
• "bánh bao kim sa" or "bánh bao trứng sữa": A sweet variant filled with a creamy, flowing custard made from salted egg yolk and milk.
  • Bánh bao kim sa là món tráng miệng yêu thích của tôi. (Custard lava buns are my favorite dessert.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bánh (n): A general term for cakes, pastries, or bread-like items.
• Bánh mì (n): Vietnamese baguette, a type of bread.
• Bao tử (n): Stomach (literally "food bag"); this is the origin of the slang term, implying someone with an "empty head" like a bun waiting to be filled.

Synonyms

• (For the food): Steamed bun, baozi (the Chinese term), dumpling (in a broad sense, though specific to this type).
• (For the slang): Ngây thơ (adj: naive), cả tin (adj: gullible), dễ bị lừa (phrase: easily deceived).

Related Phrases

• "Bị/trở thành bánh bao": To be/become a gullible person or a victim of a scam.
  • Cảnh giác kẻo bị bánh bao đấy! (Be careful or you'll get scammed!)
• "Thằng bánh bao": A common, slightly derogatory phrase for a gullible man or guy.
  • Nó cứ tin lời người lạ, đúng là thằng bánh bao. (He keeps believing strangers, what a gullible fool.)

Related Idioms

• "Đầu óc bánh bao": Literally "a bun for a brain"; means to be simple-minded or not very bright.
  • Nó có cái đầu óc bánh bao, giải bài toán đơn giản thế mà không xong. (He's so simple-minded, he can't even solve such an easy math problem.)

noun

1. Dumpling