Definition

Noun: 1. A jar: A container, typically made of ceramic, glass, or earthenware, with a small opening at the top, a bulging middle, and a narrower base. It is used for storing food, liquids, or other items. 2. A small-mouthed pot or crock: Specifically refers to a traditional Vietnamese vessel, often made of pottery, characterized by its shape (small neck, wide belly, narrow bottom) used for fermenting, pickling, or storing items like fish sauce, rice wine, or preserved foods.

Usage Examples

• (My mother bought a jar of honey.)
• (My grandmother pickles vegetables in ceramic jars.)
• (He has a precious jar of rice wine at home.)
• ("As dark as a sealed jar" is an idiom.)

Advanced Usage

• The word hũ strongly evokes traditional Vietnamese household items and culinary practices, such as fermenting (fish sauce) or making (glutinous rice wine).
• It is often used in idiomatic expressions to describe a state of being completely dark, sealed, or impenetrable.

Variants and Related Words

• Lọ (noun): A vase or a bottle; generally a container with a narrower neck than a hũ, often used for liquids or decorative purposes.
• Bình (noun): A vase, jug, or flask; can be larger and may have a handle or spout.
• Vại (noun): A large earthenware jar or crock, usually bigger than a hũ, used for storing water or pickling on a larger scale.
• Chum (noun): A very large earthenware jar, much bigger than a hũ, traditionally used for storing water or rice.

Synonyms

• Jar (the closest direct translation).
• Pot (especially an earthenware pot).
• Crock (a thick-walled earthenware jar or pot).

Related Idioms

• Tối như hũ nút: (As dark as a sealed jar) - Meaning pitch black, completely dark, or to describe a situation that is incomprehensible or murky.
  • Đường phố mất điện, tối như hũ nút. (The street lost power, it was pitch black.)
• Kín như hũ: (As tight as a jar) - Meaning very secretive, airtight (in terms of information), or completely sealed.
  • Thông tin về dự án đó kín như hũ. (The information about that project is completely sealed.)

noun

1. jar