Definition

1. Noun:
   • Mackerel: A type of sea fish with a long body and firm, oily flesh, often used for food. This is the primary and most common meaning.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Mẹ tôi thường chiên cá thu cho bữa tối. (My mother often fries mackerel for dinner.)
  • Cá thu là một nguồn cung cấp omega-3 tuyệt vời. (Mackerel is an excellent source of omega-3.)
  • Ở chợ hải sản hôm nay có bán cá thu tươi. (They are selling fresh mackerel at the seafood market today.)

Advanced Usage

• "cá thu một nắng": Sun-dried mackerel. A traditional preservation method.
  • Món cá thu một nắng nướng ăn với cơm rất ngon. (Grilled sun-dried mackerel eaten with rice is very delicious.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cá thu ngừ: While sometimes used colloquially, this typically refers to a different fish (tuna). It is a compound term and not a variant of "cá thu" itself.
• Dầu gan cá thu: Cod liver oil. This is a fixed compound term where "cá thu" is used in a specific, historical context to mean "cod" (see 'Different Meanings' below).

Different Meanings

1. Historical/Regional Usage (Less Common): In some older or specific contexts (e.g., in the compound "dầu gan cá thu"), "cá thu" can refer to codfish (morue in French). However, in modern standard Vietnamese, "cá thu" overwhelmingly means mackerel, and "cá tuyết" is the common word for cod.

Synonyms

• Cá bạc má: A specific type of mackerel (chub mackerel). This is a more specific term within the same family.
• Thu: A shortened, poetic or informal form.
  • Món thu kho thật đậm đà. (The braised mackerel dish is very flavorful.)

Related Phrases

• Đánh bắt cá thu: To fish for mackerel.
  • Những ngư dân đang chuẩn bị ra khơi để đánh bắt cá thu. (The fishermen are preparing to go offshore to fish for mackerel.)
• Kho cá thu: To braise mackerel (a popular cooking method).
  • Cá thu kho tiêu là món ăn khoái khẩu của tôi. (Pepper-braised mackerel is my favorite dish.)

Related Idioms

• Khỏe như cá thu: (As healthy/strong as a mackerel). An idiom praising someone's vitality and good health, referencing the fish's strength and agility in water.
  • Ông cụ đã ngoài 80 nhưng vẫn khỏe như cá thu. (The old man is over 80 but still as strong as a mackerel.)

noun

1. Mackerel