Definitions

1. Noun:
   • Police officer (historical/colonial context): Refers to a police officer, specifically during the French colonial period in Vietnam. This usage is now archaic or historical.
   • Police station (historical/colonial context): Refers to a police station from the French colonial era.
   • Violet/black sticky rice: Refers to a specific type of glutinous rice with a deep purple or blackish color, often used to make traditional food and drinks.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Police):
  • Ông cẩm đang tuần tra. (The police officer is on patrol.)
  • Tên trộm bị bắt và đưa về sở cẩm. (The thief was caught and taken to the police station.)
• Noun (Rice):
  • Chị ấy nấu xôi gạo cẩm rất ngon. (She cooks violet sticky rice very well.)
  • Rượu nếp cẩm là một đặc sản. (Violet sticky rice wine is a specialty.)

Advanced Usage

• The terms related to law enforcement (, ) are primarily used in historical narratives, literature, or when referring to the colonial period. In modern Vietnamese, "cảnh sát" and "đồn cảnh sát" or "công an" and "đồn công an" are used.
• When referring to the rice, it is almost always part of a compound noun specifying the product (e.g., , , , ).

Variants and Related Words

• Gạo cẩm / Nếp cẩm: Violet glutinous rice.
• Xôi cẩm: Steamed violet sticky rice.
• Rượu nếp cẩm / Rượu cẩm: Alcoholic beverage made from fermented violet sticky rice.
• Lá cẩm: A plant (magenta plant, ) whose leaves are used to produce natural purple dye and color food, sometimes confused with or used for the rice.
• Củ cẩm: The tuber of a different plant used for dye.

Synonyms

• For police (historical): (modern), (detective/agent, historical).
• For police station (historical): , (modern).
• For violet rice: (black sticky rice, though color may differ slightly).

Related Phrases/Idioms

• Vào sở cẩm: To be taken to the police station (historical context).

noun

1. Police officer
   • sở cẩm
     a police station
2. gạo cẩm, nếp cẩm) Violet sticky rice
   • rượu cẩm
     violet sticky rice alcohol