Definition

1. Noun:

   • Aunt; Father's younger sister: Refers specifically to one's father's younger sister. This is a primary kinship term.
   • Miss; Young lady; Unmarried woman: A polite term of address or reference for a young or unmarried woman.
   • Female teacher: A term used by students to address their female teacher, or used by the teacher to refer to herself when speaking to students.

2. Verb:

   • To boil down; To reduce; To concentrate: To heat a liquid, such as a solution or broth, to evaporate water and make it thicker or more concentrated.

3. Adjective (limited use):

   • Solitary; Alone; Isolated: Describes a state of being alone, without support or companionship.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Aunt):

  • Cô tôi là giáo viên. (My aunt is a teacher.)
  • Cháu chào cô ạ. (Hello, Auntie.)

• Noun (Miss/Young lady):

  • Cô ấy tên là Lan. (That young lady's name is Lan.)
  • Cô bán hàng rất thân thiện. (The saleswoman is very friendly.)

• Noun (Teacher):

  • Cô giáo đang giảng bài. (The teacher is lecturing.)
  • Cô cho em hỏi một câu. (Teacher, may I ask a question?)

• Verb:

  • Mẹ cô nước dùng để làm nước chấm. (Mother boils down the broth to make dipping sauce.)
  • Cô đặc sirô. (Concentrate the syrup.)

• Adjective:

  • Bà ấy sống một mình, thân cô thế cô. (She lives alone, isolated and without support.)

Advanced Usage

• As a personal pronoun: In family contexts, "cô" can function as "I/me" (when an aunt speaks to her niece/nephew) or "you" (when speaking to one's aunt or a young woman/teacher). The meaning depends entirely on the speaker and listener relationship.
  • Cô sẽ mua quà cho cháu. (I [your aunt] will buy you a gift.)
  • Cháu biết làm bài này không, cô? (Do you know how to do this exercise, teacher?)

Variants and Related Words

• Cô bé (n): A little girl; a young miss.

  • Cô bé bán diêm. (The little match girl.)

• Cô đơn (adj): Lonely, lonesome.

  • Anh ta cảm thấy cô đơn. (He feels lonely.)

• Cô nương (n, literary): A maiden; a young lady (often used in historical/lyrical contexts).

Synonyms

• Aunt: dì (mother's sister), thím (younger uncle's wife).
• Miss: chị (older sister/young woman), nàng (poetic).
• To concentrate: cô đặc, làm đặc.
• Solitary: đơn độc, lẻ loi.

Related Idioms

• Thân cô thế cô: To be alone and vulnerable in the world; to have no one to rely on.

  • Sau khi gia đình ly tán, ông ấy sống thân cô thế cô. (After his family dispersed, he lived a solitary and vulnerable life.)

• Cô gia bất hủ: An idiom meaning a single woman living independently (less common).

noun

1. Aunt; auntie; Miss; young lady
   • cô bé
     A little miss'

verb

1. To boil down
   • cô nước đường
     To boil down sirup