Definition

1. Verb:

   • To condense: To make a substance more dense or concentrated by removing parts of it, especially liquid. Often refers to making a liquid thicker or reducing its volume.
   • To summarize concisely: To express ideas or information in a very brief and concentrated form, capturing the essence without unnecessary details.

2. Adjective:

   • Concise / Succinct: Describing language or expression that is brief yet comprehensive and meaningful.
   • Concentrated / Dense: Describing a substance that is strong or potent due to having its essential elements in a high proportion.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Nhà khoa học cô đúc dung dịch trong phòng thí nghiệm. (The scientist condensed the solution in the laboratory.)
  • Giáo sư yêu cầu sinh viên cô đúc bài luận thành một đoạn văn ngắn. (The professor asked the student to condense the essay into a short paragraph.)

• Adjective:

  • Bài phát biểu của ông ấy rất cô đúc và sâu sắc. (His speech was very concise and profound.)
  • Đây là loại nước sốt cô đúc, cần pha loãng trước khi dùng. (This is a concentrated sauce; it needs to be diluted before use.)

Advanced Usage

• Used in academic or literary contexts to describe highly refined and impactful writing or speech where every word carries significant weight.

Variants and Related Words

• Sự cô đúc (n): The state or quality of being condensed or concise; conciseness.

  • Sự cô đúc của bài thơ khiến nó rất mạnh mẽ. (The conciseness of the poem makes it very powerful.)

• Cô đặc (v): To concentrate, to thicken (often used more for physical substances like liquids).

  • Cô đặc nước đường để làm kẹo. (Concentrate the sugar water to make candy.)

Synonyms

• Condense: To make more dense or compact.
• Concentrate: To increase the strength or density of a substance.
• Summarize: To give a brief statement of main points.
• Succinct: Briefly and clearly expressed.
• Terse: Sparing in the use of words.

Related Idioms

• Lời nói cô đúc: Concise words. Refers to speech that is brief but full of meaning.
  • Nhà lãnh đạo nổi tiếng với những lời nói cô đúc. (The leader is famous for his concise words.)