Definition

1. Verb:

   • To tie, to bind, to bundle: To gather and fasten separate items together into a compact unit using string, rope, or another material.
   • To wrap tightly, to constrict: To encircle or cover something so that it fits snugly or is held firmly in place.
   • To set (a broken bone), to bandage: To immobilize and support an injured body part, like a broken bone, with a cast or bandages.
   • To border, to edge: To line or encircle an area with a material, such as stones or bricks.
   • To confine, to restrict: To limit someone or something, hindering freedom of action or development.

2. Noun:

   • A bundle, a bunch, a sheaf: A quantity of long, thin items (like flowers, sticks, or stalks) that are tied or held together.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Cô ấy bó những bông hoa lại thành một bó lớn. (She bundled the flowers into a large bunch.)
  • Chiếc váy quá chật, nó bó sát vào người. (The dress is too tight; it hugs the body closely.)
  • Bác sĩ phải bó bột cho chân bị gãy của anh ấy. (The doctor had to put a cast on his broken leg.)
  • Họ dùng gạch để bó mép vườn. (They used bricks to border the edge of the garden.)
  • Đừng để nỗi sợ hãi bó buộc ước mơ của bạn. (Don't let fear restrict your dreams.)

• Noun:

  • Anh ấy tặng tôi một bó hoa hồng. (He gave me a bunch of roses.)
  • Chúng tôi cần một bó củi để nhóm lửa. (We need a bundle of firewood to start the fire.)

Advanced Usage

• "bó tay": Literally "to tie one's hands," meaning to be helpless, to give up, or to admit defeat in the face of a difficult situation.

  • Vấn đề này phức tạp quá, tôi thực sự bó tay. (This problem is too complicated; I'm completely helpless.)

• "bó gối": Literally "to tie/bind the knees," often used to describe sitting with one's knees drawn up close to the body.

  • Cậu bé ngồi bó gối trong góc phòng. (The boy sat with his knees drawn up in the corner of the room.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bó buộc (verb): To bind, to obligate, to constrain (often by rules or circumstances).

  • Hợp đồng bó buộc hai bên phải tuân thủ các điều khoản. (The contract binds both parties to comply with the terms.)

• Bó hẹp (verb): To narrowly limit or confine.

  • Quan điểm của anh ta quá bó hẹp. (His viewpoint is too narrow.)

• Bó gối (noun): In architecture, a knee brace or bracket.

Synonyms

• Buộc (verb): To tie, to fasten.
• Bọc (verb): To wrap, to cover.
• Bịt (verb): To bandage, to cover a wound.
• Giới hạn (verb): To limit, to restrict.
• Bó lại (phrasal verb): To bundle up.

Related Idioms

• "Cái khó bó cái khôn": A proverb meaning "Poverty stifles ingenuity" or "Necessity is the mother of invention," highlighting how difficult circumstances can limit one's cleverness or options.
  • Anh ta có nhiều ý tưởng nhưng không có vốn, đúng là cái khó bó cái khôn. (He has many ideas but no capital; it's true that poverty stifles ingenuity.)

verb

1. to tie; to bind; to faggot; to bunch

noun

1. faggot; bunch; bundle
   • một bó hoa
     a bunch of flowers