Definition

1. Verb:
   • To cover, to conceal, to obscure: To place something over or in front of an object, making it less visible or hidden from view. Often implies hiding something partially or making it difficult to perceive.
   • To mask, to hide (an emotion, a truth): To use an action, expression, or behavior to conceal a true feeling, fact, or flaw.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đường mòn bị cỏ che lấp. (The trail was covered/concealed by grass.)
  • Cô ấy cười để che lấp sự ngượng nghịu. (She smiled to cover/mask her embarrassment.)
  • Mây đen che lấp mặt trời. (Dark clouds obscured the sun.)
  • Anh ta dùng lời nói ngọt ngào để che lấp ý đồ xấu. (He used sweet words to conceal his malicious intentions.)

Advanced Usage

• "Che lấp đi": Often used to emphasize the act of covering or hiding something completely or intentionally.
  • Họ cố gắng che lấp đi sự thật. (They tried to cover up the truth.)
• Used in formal or literary contexts to describe natural phenomena or abstract concepts.
  • Bóng tối che lấp mọi thứ. (Darkness enveloped/concealed everything.)

Variants and Related Words

• Che (verb): To cover, to shield. A simpler, more general term.
  • Che mưa (to shelter from the rain)
• Che đậy (verb): To cover up, to conceal (often with a negative connotation of hiding something bad).
  • Che đậy khuyết điểm (to cover up flaws)
• Che giấu (verb): To hide, to conceal (often used for secrets, emotions, or objects).
  • Che giấu cảm xúc (to hide one's emotions)
• Lấp (verb): To fill in, to bury. Can be used separately.
  • Lấp hố (to fill in a hole)

Synonyms

• Giấu: To hide, to keep secret.
• Ẩn giấu: To conceal, to hide away (more literary).
• Bưng bít: To cover up, to suppress (information, often negatively).

Related Phrases (Collocations)

• Che lấp khuyết điểm: To cover up flaws/defects.
• Che lấp sự thật: To conceal the truth.
• Che lấp nỗi buồn: To mask sadness.
• Bị che lấp: To be covered/obscured (passive voice).

Notes on Meaning

• The word often carries a nuance of something being obscured from sight or knowledge, not necessarily completely hidden but made difficult to see or understand.
• It can be used for both physical covering (grass covering a path) and abstract covering (a smile covering embarrassment).
• Unlike che đậy or bưng bít, che lấp is less inherently negative and can be used in neutral descriptive contexts (e.g., fog covering a mountain).

1. To cover
   • đường mòn bị cỏ che lấp
     the track was covered by grass
   • cười để che lấp sự ngượng nghịu
     to cover one's embarrassment with a smile