Definition

1. Verb:
   • To relax one's bones and muscles; to relieve physical fatigue: "giãn xương" describes the action of stretching or resting to alleviate tiredness or stiffness in the body, often after prolonged physical exertion or maintaining a single position.
   • To unwind physically: It conveys the feeling of physical relief and loosening up.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Làm việc cả ngày, tôi cần nằm nghỉ một lúc cho giãn xương. (After working all day, I need to lie down for a while to relax my bones/to unwind.)
  • Sau chuyến đi dài, anh ấy tắm nước nóng để giãn xương. (After the long trip, he took a hot bath to relieve his fatigue/to loosen up.)

Advanced Usage

• "giãn xương giãn cốt": An intensified, idiomatic variant meaning to thoroughly relax one's entire body, bones and joints.
  • Buổi tập yoga giúp tôi giãn xương giãn cốt. (The yoga session helped me relax my entire body thoroughly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Giãn cơ (Verb): To stretch muscles; to relieve muscle tension.
  • Động tác này giúp giãn cơ đùi. (This movement helps stretch the thigh muscles.)
• Thư giãn (Verb): To relax (both physically and mentally). This is a more general and common synonym.
  • Nghe nhạc là cách tốt để thư giãn. (Listening to music is a good way to relax.)
• Nghỉ ngơi (Verb): To rest. This focuses more on the act of ceasing activity rather than the sensation of physical relief.
  • Bạn nên nghỉ ngơi một chút. (You should rest for a bit.)

Synonyms

• Thư giãn: to relax.
• Làm dịu mỏi mệt: to alleviate fatigue.
• Buông lỏng cơ thể: to loosen up the body.

Related Idioms

• "Giãn xương giãn cốt": As mentioned above, this is the primary idiomatic compound using the target word, emphasizing complete physical relaxation.