TheVietnameseword "cày" primarilyfunctions as both a nounand a verb, and it hasseveralmeaningsand usages.
BasicMeaning:
Noun:
Plough: In agriculture, "cày" referstothetoolusedforturningoversoil in preparationforplanting crops. It is oftenassociatedwithtraditionalfarming methods.
TractorsandAnimals: "Cày" can alsorefertotheact of using animals, likebuffaloesandoxen, topulltheplough. Youmighthearphraseslike "trâu bòkéocày," whichmeans"buffaloesandoxendraw ploughs." Additionally, "càymáy" refersto a tractor-pulledplough.
Verb:
Toplough: As a verb, "cày" meanstoplough fields. Forexample, "càyruộng" means "toplough fields." It describestheaction of turningoverthesoiltopreparefor planting.
AdvancedUsage: Thephrase "càysâubừakỹ" means "toploughdeepandrake carefully," whichindicates a thoroughfarmingtechnique.
Different Meanings:
In a metaphoricalsense, "cày" can describetheeffects of somethingdestructive, such as in military contexts. Thephrase "bom đạncàynáttrận địa" means "thebattlefieldwasploughed up by bombsand bullets," showingthedevastationcaused by warfare.
Additionally, "xe tăngcàymặtđường" translatesto "thetankploughedthroughtheroad," indicatinghowsomethingpowerful can movethrough obstacles.
Word Variants:
Cày Bừa: Thisphrasecombines "cày" (plough) with "bừa" (rake), referringtotheoverallprocess of preparinglandfor planting.
Synonyms:
Somesynonymsfor "cày" in thecontext of ploughingmightinclude:
Xới: Thismeanstocultivate or tillthesoil.
Kéo: Thisverbmeanstopulland can relatetotheaction of draggingtheploughthroughtheearth.
Usage Instructions:
Use "cày" whendiscussingfarming, agriculture, or anycontextwheresoilpreparation is involved. It can also be used in morefigurativelanguagetodescribedestruction or forcefulmovementthrough an area.
Examples:
Noun:
"Càylàcôngcụquan trọngtrongnông nghiệp." (Theplough is an importanttool in agriculture.)
Verb:
"Mỗinăm, nông dân cày ruộngvàođầumùaxuân." (Everyyear, farmersploughthefields at thebeginning of spring.)
noun
Plough
trâu bòkéocày
buffaloesandoxendrawploughs
càymáy
a tractor-pulledplough
tay cày, tay súng
a rifle in onehand, a plough in theother (peasants' preparedness)