Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of grass (Alang grass): "Gianh" refers to a specific type of tall, tough grass, often used for thatching.
   • Thatch (material): "Gianh" can also mean the thatch material itself, made from this grass, used for roofing.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cỏ gianh mọc đầy trên đồi. (Alang grass grows all over the hill.)
  • Mái nhà gianh rất mát vào mùa hè. (A thatched roof is very cool in the summer.)

Advanced Usage

• "Nhà gianh": A thatched cottage; a house with a roof made of "gianh" grass.

  • Ông bà tôi từng sống trong một ngôi nhà gianh đơn sơ. (My grandparents used to live in a simple thatched cottage.)

• "Tắt đèn nhà ngói cũng như nhà gianh": An idiom meaning "In the dark, a tile-roofed house is the same as a thatched house," similar to the English idiom "All cats are grey in the dark." It implies that without light (or in certain conditions), distinctions of status or quality become irrelevant.

  • Anh đừng so đo làm gì, tắt đèn nhà ngói cũng như nhà gianh thôi. (Don't be so picky; in the dark, distinctions don't matter.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tranh: A more common synonym for "gianh," meaning the same type of grass or thatch.
  • Mái nhà lợp bằng tranh. (The roof is thatched with grass.)

Synonyms

• Cỏ tranh: Synonym for the grass itself.
• Rơm rạ: Straw (a different but related material sometimes used for thatching).

Notes on Different Meanings

• The word "gianh" is primarily used in the context of traditional rural life and materials. It is not commonly used in modern urban contexts except when referring to historical or cultural aspects. Its meaning is very specific and does not have other common metaphorical uses.

1. như tranh
   • Cỏ gianh
     Alang grass
   • Nhà gianh
     A thatched cottage