cầm
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A type of zither: An ancient, trough-shaped string instrument with five or seven silk strings. In classical literature, it often refers to string instruments in general.
- One of the Four Arts: Part of the phrase "Cầm, Kỳ, Thi, Hoạ" (Music, Chess, Poetry, Painting), representing the four refined accomplishments of a feudal scholar.
Verb:
- To hold: To grasp or keep something in one's hand or fingers.
- To take: To receive something into one's hand.
- To control, to command: To hold and direct something, such as steering a vehicle or leading an army.
- To pawn: To give property to someone as security for a loan.
- To be certain: To consider something as assured or guaranteed.
- To detain: To hold someone in a place, restricting their freedom.
- To retain: To keep a guest from leaving; to stay somewhere oneself.
- To stanch, to stop: To stop a bodily fluid (like blood or tears) from flowing.
- To restrain, to suppress: To hold back an internal feeling or emotion from being expressed.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- Tiếng cầm du dương. (The sound of the cầm is melodious.)
- Ông ấy tinh thông cầm, kỳ, thi, hoạ. (He is proficient in music, chess, poetry, and painting.)
Verb:
- Cô ấy cầm một bông hoa. (She is holding a flower.)
- Anh ấy cầm lái chiếc ô tô. (He is holding the steering wheel of the car / He is driving the car.)
- Họ phải cầm chiếc vòng vàng để vay tiền. (They had to pawn the gold ring to borrow money.)
- Bác sĩ cố gắng cầm máu cho bệnh nhân. (The doctor tried to stanch the patient's bleeding.)
- Cô ấy không thể cầm được nước mắt. (She could not hold back her tears.)
Advanced Usage
"cầm quyền": to hold power, to be in power.
- Đảng đó đã cầm quyền nhiều năm. (That party has been in power for many years.)
"cầm cố": to mortgage, to pledge (as collateral).
- Họ cầm cố ngôi nhà tại ngân hàng. (They mortgaged the house at the bank.)
Variants and Related Words
Cầm đồ (v/n): to pawn goods; a pawnshop.
- Anh ta vào tiệm cầm đồ. (He went into the pawnshop.)
Cầm tù (v): to imprison, to hold captive.
- Kẻ phạm tội bị cầm tù. (The criminal was imprisoned.)
Cầm lòng (v): to restrain one's feelings, to control oneself.
- Tôi không thể cầm lòng được nữa. (I could no longer control myself / hold back my feelings.)
Synonyms
- To hold: to grasp, to clutch.
- To command: to lead, to direct.
- To pawn: to hock, to pledge.
- To stanch: to stop, to halt (bleeding).
- To restrain: to suppress, to check (emotions).
Related Idioms
Cầm cân nảy mực: to hold the scales and adjust the weight; to be a fair judge or arbiter.
- Vị quan tòa phải cầm cân nảy mực. (The judge must be fair and impartial.)
Cầm bằng: to consider as equal to, to regard as.
- Anh ấy cầm bằng như không nghe thấy. (He acted as if he didn't hear.)
noun
- Lute-like instrument; musical instrument
- Cầm, Kỳ, Thi, HoạMusic, Chess, Poetry, Painting (regarded as the four amusements or accomplishments of a feudal intellectual)
verb
- To hold, to keep
- Đảng cầm quyềnthe party holding power, the party in power, the in party
- người cầm láithe person holding the steering wheel, the driver
- cầm quân đi đánh giặcto hold the command of an army and fight aggressors, to command an army in the fight against aggressors
- cầm tay nhauto hold hands