Definition

1. Noun:

   • A small handful, a cupped handful: The amount of something that can be held within the two hands cupped together.
   • A leaflet: A small or young leaf.
   • A small, short-handled hoe: A specific type of farming tool.

2. Verb:

   • To hoop or bind tightly: To fasten or secure something, like a barrel, with a hoop or band.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Con gà vừa một chét tay. (The chicken is just a cupped handful in size.)
  • Anh ấy nhổ một chét cỏ. (He pulled up a small handful of grass.)
  • Cuốc chét dùng để xới đất trong chậu. (The small hoe is used for tilling soil in pots.)
  • Lá chét mọc ra từ cành non. (Leaflets grow from young branches.)

• Verb:

  • Thợ mộc chét cái thùng cho chắc. (The carpenter hooped the barrel tightly to make it sturdy.)

Advanced Usage

• "chét tay": This is the most common compound form, explicitly meaning "a cupped handful." It specifies the measurement using one's hands.
  • Bà lấy một chét tay gạo để nấu cháo. (She took a cupped handful of rice to cook porridge.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bọ chét (n): Flea. (Note: This is a separate, common compound word where "chét" is a component, but it does not share the core meanings listed above).
• Lúa chét (n): Rice aftergrowth; rice that grows again after the main harvest.
• Chét as a bound root: Often appears in specific nouns (like , ) and is rarely used as a standalone noun in modern Vietnamese outside of the "chét tay" measurement.

Synonyms

• Nắm (n): A handful (usually grasped in one fist).
• Nhúm (n): A pinch, a very small amount held between fingers.
• Vốc (n): A scoop or a handful (often with one hand).

Notes on Different Meanings

• The primary and most frequently used meaning in modern Vietnamese is the nominal one: a cupped handful ("chét tay").
• The meaning "leaflet" is technical and found in botany.
• The meaning "to hoop tightly" is an older, specialized verb usage, primarily related to barrel-making (cooperage).
• The word "chét" in "bọ chét" (flea) is etymologically distinct and should be treated as a separate lexical item.

noun

1. chét tay Amount that can be hold within the two hands cupped together
   • con gà vừa một chét tay
     a chicken which can be hold within the two hands cupped together
   • cuốc chét
     A small short-handled hoe
   • lá chét
     a leaflet
   • lúa chét
     rice aftergrowth
   • xem bọ chét