Definition

1. Noun:
   • Difficulty, obstacle, hurdle: A figurative term describing a difficulty, challenge, or impediment that makes progress hard or complicated. It often refers to a series of minor but persistent troubles.

Usage

• The term "gai gốc" is used to describe non-physical, abstract difficulties and complications in a situation, plan, or process. It is a compound noun and is typically used in its complete form.
• It often appears in contexts discussing life's journey, career paths, projects, or relationships to signify troubles one must overcome.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Dự án mới gặp nhiều gai gốc về mặt pháp lý. (The new project encountered many legal obstacles.)
  • Trên con đường khởi nghiệp, không thể tránh khỏi những gai gốc. (On the path of starting a business, one cannot avoid hurdles.)
  • Họ đã vượt qua mọi gai gốc để đến được với nhau. (They overcame every difficulty to be together.)

Advanced Usage

• "vướng phải gai gốc": to run into/hit a snag, to encounter an obstacle.
  • Kế hoạch đang vướng phải gai gốc về tài chính. (The plan is running into financial snags.)
• "gỡ bỏ gai gốc": to remove/smooth out difficulties.
  • Chúng ta cần gỡ bỏ những gai gốc trong hợp đồng này. (We need to smooth out the difficulties in this contract.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gai góc (adj): Describes a person who is tough, thorny, difficult to deal with, or a situation that is tricky and complicated.
  • Anh ấy là một nhân vật gai góc trong làng báo chí. (He is a thorny figure in the press circle.)
• Chướng ngại (n): Obstacle, barrier (often more formal or physical).
• Khó khăn (n): Difficulty, hardship (a more general and common term).
• Trở ngại (n): Hindrance, impediment.

Synonyms

• Khó khăn: Difficulty.
• Trở ngại: Hindrance.
• Vấn đề: Problem.

Related Idioms

• "Đường đời lắm gai góc": The path of life is full of thorns (i.e., life is full of hardships).
  • Cô ấy hiểu rằng đường đời lắm gai góc. (She understands that life's path is full of thorns.)

1. Difficulty, obstacle, hurdle
   • Gặp nhiều gai gốc trên đường đời
     To meat with many obstacles on one's path in life