bôi mỡ

Anh ấy bôi mỡ vào các bản lề cửa.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To grease, to lubricate: The action of applying grease, oil, or a fatty substance to a surface, typically to reduce friction, protect from rust, or facilitate movement.
   • To smear with fat/oil: The act of spreading a layer of grease, ointment, or a similar substance onto an object or surface.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy cần bôi mỡ vào các bản lề cửa cho nó mở ra dễ dàng hơn. (He needs to grease the door hinges so they open more easily.)
  • Trước khi nướng, bạn nên bôi mỡ lên khay để chống dính. (Before baking, you should grease the tray to prevent sticking.)
  • Người thợ máy bôi mỡ vào các chi tiết kim loại để bảo vệ chúng khỏi gỉ sét. (The mechanic lubricates the metal parts to protect them from rust.)

Advanced Usage

• "bôi mỡ trơn": to grease thoroughly/smoothly; often implies making something operate smoothly, sometimes used metaphorically to mean facilitating a process (e.g., through unofficial payments).
  • Muốn công việc thông qua nhanh, hắn ta tìm cách bôi mỡ trơn. (To get the work approved quickly, he looked for a way to grease the wheels.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bôi trơn (verb): to lubricate. This is a more technical or formal synonym.
  • Động cơ cần được bôi trơn định kỳ. (The engine needs to be lubricated regularly.)
• Tra mỡ (verb phrase): to apply grease (often with a grease gun into a specific fitting).
• Mỡ (noun): grease, fat, lubricant. The substance being applied.

Synonyms

• Bôi dầu (verb phrase): to oil, to apply oil. (Often used for thinner lubricants.)
• Thoa mỡ (verb phrase): to apply grease/ointment. (Can have a more medical/cosmetic connotation.)
• Bôi (verb): to smear, to apply (a substance). A more general verb.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Bôi mỡ vào tay: Literally "to grease the hand"; a colloquial/idiomatic expression meaning to bribe.
  • Hắn định bôi mỡ vào tay viên chức đó. (He intended to grease the palm of that official.)

Related Idioms

• "Có bôi mỡ bánh xe mới quay": Literally "The wheel only turns if it's greased"; similar to the English idiom "to grease the wheels," meaning to use incentives (often illicit) to make things happen more smoothly.
  • Ở nơi đó, có bôi mỡ bánh xe mới quay. (In that place, things only move if you grease the wheels.)