Definition

Noun: 1. (Literal) Black rice: Refers to a type of rice with a dark-colored husk or bran layer, often considered a nutritious whole grain. 2. (Figurative, slang, archaic) Opium: A highly addictive narcotic drug derived from the opium poppy. This usage employs "cơm" (rice/meal) as a metaphor for a substance consumed and "đen" (black) to signify its illicit, harmful, or dark nature.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Literal):

  • Cơm đen có nhiều chất xơ và chất chống oxy hóa. (Black rice is high in fiber and antioxidants.)
  • Bữa trưa hôm nay có món cơm đen trộn. (Today's lunch features mixed black rice.)

• Noun (Figurative - Opium):

  • Thời Pháp thuộc, tệ nạn "cơm đen" đã hủy hoại nhiều gia đình. (During the French colonial period, the scourge of "black rice" [opium] destroyed many families.)
  • Câu chuyện phản ánh thời kỳ người dân nghiện "cơm đen". (The story reflects the era when people were addicted to "black rice" [opium].)

Advanced Usage

• This term is primarily historical or literary when used to mean "opium." In modern Vietnamese, direct terms like thuốc phiện (opium) or ma túy (drugs) are more common. The figurative usage of cơm đen often appears in contexts discussing pre-20th century social issues or in classic literature to evoke a specific period.
• The metaphor highlights how the drug was integrated into daily life (like a meal - cơm) but with a destructive consequence (đen - black/dark).

Variants and Related Words

• Thuốc phiện (n): The standard, direct term for opium.
• Cơm trắng (n): Literally "white rice." Can be used in contrast to cơm đen, symbolizing legitimate sustenance versus illicit poison.
• Hàng đen / Hàng trắng (n): Slang for "black market goods" and "heroin," respectively, using a similar color metaphor for illicit substances.

Synonyms

• (For the figurative meaning): Thuốc phiện (opium), Anh túc (opium poppy, literary), Ma túy (drugs, general term).

Related Idioms

• Cơm không lành, canh không ngọt: Literally "The rice isn't wholesome, the soup isn't sweet." This idiom describes a state of family discord, tension, or strife where domestic life is unhappy. It is conceptually linked to cơm đen (opium) in historical contexts, as addiction often led to such family breakdowns.
  • Nhà ấy lúc nào cũng cơm không lành canh không ngọt vì người cha nghiện ngập. (That household is always in strife because the father is an addict.)

noun

1. (fig) Opium
   • cơm không lành canh không ngọt
     Family squabbles