Definition

1. Noun:
   • A variety of small, deep green lemon: "chanh cốm" refers to a specific type of lemon (Citrus) that is small in size and has a dark green rind.
   • (Figurative) A young girl: In a figurative sense, "chanh cốm" can be used to describe a young, fresh, and charming girl, often implying youth and vibrancy.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Literal):

  • Mẹ tôi mua một ký chanh cốm để làm nước chấm. (My mother bought a kilogram of chanh cốm to make dipping sauce.)
  • Vỏ chanh cốm có màu xanh đậm rất đẹp. (The rind of the chanh cốm is a very beautiful dark green.)

• Noun (Figurative):

  • Cô bé ấy mới lớn, trông như một trái chanh cốm. (That girl has just grown up, she looks like a chanh cốm [i.e., fresh and young].)
  • Anh ấy gọi cô em gái là "cô bé chanh cốm" của mình. (He calls his younger sister his "chanh cốm girl".)

Advanced Usage

• The figurative usage is poetic and somewhat old-fashioned. It evokes an image of something small, green (suggesting youth), and perhaps a little tart or lively, much like the personality of a spirited young girl.

Variants and Related Words

• Chanh (n): Lemon. The general term.
• Chanh ta (n): Common (Vietnamese) lime/lemon. A more common variety.
• Chanh vàng (n): Yellow lemon.

Synonyms

• Chanh xanh (n): Green lemon (a more general descriptive term, not the specific variety).
• Thiếu nữ (n): Maiden, young girl (for the figurative meaning).
• Cô gái trẻ (n): Young girl (for the figurative meaning).

Related Phrases

• Chua như chanh: As sour as a lemon (an idiom describing a very sour taste or a sharp-tongued person).
• Xanh như chanh cốm: As green as a (can describe the color green or, figuratively, someone very young and inexperienced).

Related Idioms

• Ăn chanh cốm chấm muối ớt: To eat with salt and chili. This phrase can literally describe the action, but it also evokes a strong, contrasting mix of sour, salty, and spicy flavors, sometimes used metaphorically to describe complex or intense life experiences.
• Tuổi chanh cốm: The age of a . A poetic way to refer to the youthful, adolescent years of a girl.

1. [A variety of] deep green, small lemon