gốc rạ
Definition
- Noun:
- Rice stubble: The lower part of the rice plant, including the roots and a short section of the stem, that remains in the ground after the rice has been harvested and the upper stalks have been cut.
- Origin / Roots (figurative): Used metaphorically to refer to one's rural, agricultural, or humble origins, often emphasizing a deep, foundational connection to the countryside and traditional farming life.
Usage Examples
Noun (literal):
- Sau khi gặt, những gốc rạ nhô lên khỏi mặt ruộng. (After harvesting, the rice stubble protrudes from the field.)
- Người nông dân đốt đồng để tiêu hủy gốc rạ. (The farmer burns the field to destroy the rice stubble.)
Noun (figurative):
- Dù thành đạt, anh ấy không bao giờ quên gốc rạ của mình. (Despite his success, he never forgets his rural roots.)
- Câu chuyện của bà xuất phát từ gốc rạ, từ đồng lúa quê hương. (Her story stems from her roots, from the homeland's rice fields.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is deeply cultural. Its figurative use carries a strong sense of nostalgia, authenticity, and fundamental identity tied to Vietnam's agrarian society. It is often used positively to denote strength, resilience, and a pure origin.
Variants and Related Words
- Rạ (n): Rice straw; the cut and dried stalks of rice after threshing. Distinct from "gốc rạ," which is the part left in the ground.
- Rạ được chất thành đống để lợp nhà hoặc làm thức ăn cho trâu. (The straw is piled up to thatch roofs or feed buffalo.)
Synonyms
- Stubble (for the literal meaning).
- Roots, origin, heritage (for the figurative meaning).
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Gốc rạ bờ tre: A common phrase meaning "rice stubble and bamboo hedges." It evokes the quintessential, simple imagery of the Vietnamese countryside, symbolizing one's native village and rustic origins.
- Tâm hồn anh ấy gắn bó với gốc rạ bờ tre. (His soul is attached to the rice stubble and bamboo hedges [of his homeland].)