dao con

Anh ấy dùng dao con để mở hộp quà.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Small knife / Penknife: A small, often folding, knife with a short blade, designed for light, everyday tasks such as cutting string, sharpening pencils, or peeling fruit. It is smaller and less robust than a standard kitchen or utility knife.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anh ấy dùng dao con để mở hộp quà. (He used a small knife to open the gift box.)
  • Tôi luôn mang theo một con dao con khi đi cắm trại. (I always carry a penknife when I go camping.)
  • Đưa cái dao con đây để mẹ gọt trái cây. (Pass me the small knife so I can peel the fruit.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "dao con" can sometimes imply a knife that is a tool within a larger set or a specialized, precise instrument, contrasting with a general-purpose "dao" (knife).
  • Trong bộ đồ nghề của bác sĩ phẫu thuật có nhiều loại dao con khác nhau. (In a surgeon's toolkit, there are many different kinds of small knives/scalpels.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dao nhỏ: A direct synonym meaning "small knife."
• Dao gập: Folding knife.
• Dao bỏ túi: Pocket knife.
• Dao rọc giấy: Utility knife or craft knife, specifically for cutting paper.

Synonyms

• Penknife
• Pocketknife
• Small knife
• Blade

Related Idioms

• Sắc như dao con: (As sharp as a small knife) Used to describe a person who is very sharp, witty, or sarcastic in speech.
  • Lời nói của cô ấy sắc như dao con. (Her words are as sharp as a penknife.)