Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Eager, greedy, having an excessive desire for something: "háo" describes a state of strong, often excessive, craving or longing for something, such as possessions, experiences, or recognition.
   • Having a sensation of dryness (in the body), thirsty: In traditional Vietnamese medicine and everyday speech, "háo" describes a physical feeling of internal dryness or heat, leading to a craving for cool, refreshing food and drink.

2. Verb (less common):

   • To crave, to desire excessively: "háo" can function as a verb meaning to have an intense, sometimes greedy, desire for something.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Anh ta rất háo danh. (He is very eager for fame.)
  • Đứa trẻ háo của, thấy gì cũng muốn. (The child is greedy for things, wanting everything he sees.)
  • Người bị nóng trong thường cảm thấy háo nước. (People with internal heat often feel thirsty for water.)
  • Sau khi ăn đồ nướng, tôi thấy người háo, muốn uống nước mát. (After eating grilled food, I feel a dry heat in my body and want to drink something cool.)

• Verb:

  • Nó chỉ háo những thứ hào nhoáng bên ngoài. (He only craves flashy, superficial things.)

Advanced Usage

• "háo hức": eager, excited (a common compound). This is a separate word meaning excited anticipation.

  • Các em nhỏ háo hức chờ đợi ngày nghỉ lễ. (The children are eagerly waiting for the holiday.)

• "háo thắng": eager to win, overly competitive.

  • Tính háo thắng của anh ấy đôi khi gây ra mâu thuẫn. (His eagerness to win sometimes causes conflicts.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hảo (adj): This is a Sino-Vietnamese word (好) meaning "good," "fine," or "kind." It is a completely different word from "háo" despite the similar spelling. Example: (a good man, a brave man), (good intention).
• Háo hức (adj): eager, excited.
• Háo danh (adj): fame-seeking, eager for fame.
• Háo của (adj): greedy for possessions/material things.
• Háo sắc (adj): lustful, having an excessive desire for sexual pleasure.

Synonyms

• Tham lam (adj): greedy, avaricious (stronger negative connotation than "háo").
• Khao khát (v/n): to crave, to yearn for; a craving (can be for abstract or noble things).
• Khát khao (v/n): to thirst for, to ardently desire.
• Nóng (adj): hot (can describe the physical sensation related to "háo").

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Háo với (less common construction): to be greedy/overly eager for something.
  • Nó háo với đồ chơi mới. (He is overly eager for new toys.)

Related Idioms

• Háo nước (idiomatic): Literally "thirsty for water," used to describe the physical sensation of dryness.

  • Cảm giác háo nước là dấu hiệu cơ thể cần bổ sung chất lỏng. (The feeling of being thirsty for water is a sign the body needs to replenish fluids.)

• Bụng háo (idiomatic): Literally "a dry/hot stomach," describing a specific internal sensation leading to a desire for cooling foods.

  • Bụng háo nên tôi ăn một quả cam. (My stomach felt dry/heaty, so I ate an orange.)

adj

1. eager; greedy
   • hảo danh
     eager for fame