Definition

1. Noun:

   • Pillow; cushion: A soft object used to support the head, especially while sleeping or resting.
   • Knee: The joint between the thigh and the lower leg. (This is a shortened, informal form of "đầu gối").

2. Verb:

   • To rest one's head on something: To place one's head on a pillow or other support.
   • To lean or prop something against something else: To place one object on top of another for support, often at an angle.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Pillow):

  • Cô ấy mua một chiếc gối mới. (She bought a new pillow.)
  • Anh ấy kê gối lên ghế sofa. (He placed a cushion on the sofa.)

• Noun (Knee):

  • Tôi bị đau gối. (I have a knee ache.)
  • Anh ấy quỳ gối xuống đất. (He knelt down on the ground.)

• Verb (To rest head):

  • Em bé gối đầu lên tay mẹ. (The baby rested its head on its mother's arm.)

• Verb (To lean/prop):

  • Anh ta gối cây sào lên tường. (He propped the pole against the wall.)

Advanced Usage

• "gối đầu": To use something as a pillow or to rest one's head upon. Often used figuratively to mean relying on knowledge or principles.

  • Sách là gối đầu giường của anh ấy. (Books are his bedtime reading / something he relies on for knowledge.)

• "gối ý": A literary term meaning to hint at or suggest an idea indirectly.

  • Nhà văn gối ý về một kết thúc buồn. (The writer hinted at a sad ending.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đầu gối (n): The full, formal term for "knee".
• Gối tựa (n): A back cushion or a cushion for leaning against.
• Gối ôm (n): A body pillow or hugging pillow.
• Áo gối (n): Pillowcase.

Synonyms

• Cái nệm (n): Mattress, pad (can be similar to a large cushion).
• Cái đệm (n): Cushion, pad.
• Đầu gối (n): Knee (formal synonym for the body part meaning).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Gối lên: To place something on top of something else as a support.

  • Cô ấy gối chân lên ghế. (She propped her feet up on the chair.)

• Gối vào: To lean or nestle against something.

  • Đứa trẻ gối vào vai bố. (The child nestled its head against its father's shoulder.)

Related Idioms

• "Chăn đơn gối chiếc": Literally "single blanket, lone pillow". An idiom describing a state of loneliness or solitude.

  • Sau khi vợ mất, ông ấy sống cảnh chăn đơn gối chiếc. (After his wife passed away, he lived a lonely life.)

• "Mỏi gối chồn chân": Literally "tired knees, weary legs". An idiom meaning to be extremely tired from standing or walking for a long time.

  • Đi bộ cả ngày, tôi thấy mỏi gối chồn chân. (After walking all day, I felt exhausted in my knees and legs.)

noun

1. pillow; cushion knee
   • quì gối
     to kneel down