Definition

1. Noun:

   • Bear: A large, heavy mammal with thick fur, belonging to the family Ursidae. Bears are omnivores, often associated with eating honey, and can run surprisingly fast despite their size.
   • Hem; Turn-up: The edge of a piece of clothing, such as the bottom of a trouser leg or a jacket, that is folded and sewn to prevent fraying and sometimes to adjust length.

2. Noun (Botany):

   • Nutgrass / Nutsedge: A type of sedge plant (genus Cyperus), specifically Cyperus rotundus, with triangular stems and aromatic roots used in traditional medicine.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Animal):
  • Gấu Bắc Cực sống ở Bắc Cực. (Polar bears live in the Arctic.)
  • Nó ăn nhiều như một con gấu. (He eats as much as a bear.)
• Noun (Clothing):
  • Quần của cậu ấy bị sổ gấu. (The hem of his trousers is coming undone.)
  • Cô ấy lên gấu cho chiếc váy. (She turned up the hem of the dress.)

Advanced Usage

• Slang (Noun): In modern Vietnamese slang, especially among young people, "gấu" is used to refer to one's boyfriend or girlfriend, similar to "bae" or "significant other" in English. This usage is derived from the English word "girlfriend/boyfriend" being humorously reinterpreted as "gấu" (bear).
  • Hôm nay gấu của anh ấy đến chơi. (His girlfriend is visiting today.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gấu trúc (n): Panda.
• Gấu bắc cực (n): Polar bear.
• Gấu túi (n): Koala bear (literally "pouch bear").
• Cỏ gấu / Rễ gấu (n): Nutgrass / its aromatic root (used in medicine).

Synonyms

• Bear: Bruin (poetic).
• Hem: Fold, cuff, border (of fabric).
• Significant other (slang): Partner, sweetheart.

Related Idioms and Expressions

• Dạy gấu làm xiếc: Literally "to teach a bear to perform circus tricks". It means to undertake a very difficult, nearly impossible, or foolish task.
• Hung như gấu: Literally "as fierce as a bear". It describes someone who is very grumpy, ill-tempered, or rude.

noun

1. bear
   • mật gấu
     a bear's gall. Blader
   • gấu trúc
     panda
   • gấu bắc cực
     polar bear

noun

1. hem; turn-up