Definition

Verb: * To plait (hair), to braid (hair): The action of weaving three or more strands of hair together to form a single, structured length. This is the primary and most specific meaning. * To plait, to braid (general): More broadly, it can refer to the action of interlacing strands of any flexible material (like rope, straw, or fabric strips) to form a cord, band, or similar object. This usage is less common.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Chị ấy gióc tóc thành hai bím tóc dày. (She plaited her hair into two thick braids.)
  • Người phụ nữ trong tranh đang gióc đuôi sam cho bé gái. (The woman in the painting is braiding a pigtail for the little girl.)
  • Người thợ thủ công gióc những sợi cói để làm chiếu. (The artisan plaited the rush strands to make a mat.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "gióc" is considered somewhat literary or regional in modern Vietnamese. In everyday conversation, words like "tết" (to braid/plait) or "bện" (to twist, to plait) are more frequently used for hair.
• It can be found in folk poetry, songs, or descriptions of traditional hairstyles, evoking a sense of nostalgia or rustic imagery.

Variants and Related Words

• Bện (verb): To twist, to plait. Often used for thicker materials (rope, wire) or hair, sometimes implying a tighter, simpler twist than a classic three-strand braid.
• Tết (verb): To braid, to plait. The most common modern word specifically for braiding hair.
• Đan (verb): To knit or to weave (fabric, baskets). Refers to a different interlacing technique, usually involving a grid-like pattern.
• Bím tóc (noun): A braid, a plait (the finished hairstyle).
• Đuôi sam (noun): A pigtail (a type of braid).

Synonyms

• Tết: To braid (hair).
• Bện: To twist, to plait.
• Kết (tóc): To bind/tie (hair), though less specific to braiding.

Related Phrases / Idioms

• Gióc gióng: This is a fixed, rhyming phrase. "Gióng" here is likely a reinforcing or rhyming element without separate meaning. The phrase "gióc gióng" as a whole means to plait or braid, often used in folk contexts.
  • Câu hát dân gian: "Mẹ ngồi gióc gióng tóc thề..." (The folk song: "Mother sits braiding the long, pledged hair...")

verb

1. to plait (hair)