giao vĩ

Hai con bướm đang giao vĩ trên cành hoa.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To copulate (of animals, especially birds): "giao vĩ" is an archaic or literary verb used specifically to describe the act of mating or copulation, primarily in reference to birds or animals.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Trong mùa xuân, nhiều loài chim bắt đầu giao vĩ. (In spring, many species of birds begin to copulate.)
  • Hành vi giao vĩ là một phần tự nhiên của vòng đời động vật. (The act of copulation is a natural part of the animal life cycle.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is considered formal, literary, and somewhat archaic. It is rarely used in modern, everyday Vietnamese conversation. It is typically found in classical literature, scientific texts, or formal descriptions of animal behavior.

Variants and Related Words

• Giao phối (verb): To mate, to copulate. This is the standard, more commonly used modern term for the same biological process across all animals.
  • Các nhà khoa học nghiên cứu tập tính giao phối của loài hổ. (Scientists study the mating behavior of tigers.)
• Giao cấu (verb): To have sexual intercourse. This term is more clinical and can be used for humans as well as animals, though it is also formal.
  • Giao cấu là hành vi sinh sản. (Sexual intercourse is a reproductive behavior.)

Synonyms

• Phối giống (verb): To breed (often used in the context of controlled animal husbandry).
• Kết đôi (verb): To pair, to mate (can refer to forming a pair bond, not exclusively the physical act).

Notes on Meaning

• Specificity: The core meaning of "giao vĩ" is strictly the physical act of copulation for reproduction. It does not carry the broader meanings of "to play" or "to associate" that the separate words "giao" (to deliver, to associate) and "vĩ" (tail) might imply in other contexts. It is a fixed, compound term.
• Context: Its usage is almost exclusively zoological or biological. It is not used to describe human activity in contemporary language.