Definition

Verb: - To dry or warm by exposing to heat or air: The primary meaning of "hơ" is to dry something, especially by placing it near a source of heat (like a fire) or in warm air (like sunlight). It implies a process of removing moisture or warming an object through exposure. - To warm (a body part): It can also specifically mean to warm a part of one's body, like hands, by holding them near a heat source.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Mẹ hơ chiếc áo ướt bên bếp lửa. (Mother dries the wet shirt by the fire.)
  • Trời lạnh, anh ấy hơ tay trên lò sưởi. (It's cold, he warms his hands over the heater.)
  • Người ta thường hơ nắng các loại hạt để bảo quản. (People often dry seeds in the sun for preservation.)

Advanced Usage

• "hơ lửa": to dry or warm by a fire.
  • Sau khi giặt, cô ấy hơ lửa đôi giày để chúng khô nhanh hơn. (After washing, she dries the shoes by the fire so they dry faster.)
• "hơ nóng": to heat something up by exposing it to heat.
  • Hơ nóng miếng sắt trước khi uốn cong nó. (Heat the iron piece by exposing it to heat before bending it.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hơi (n): Steam, vapor, or gas. (Note: This is a distinct, though phonetically similar, word meaning "steam" or "air".)
• Hấp (v): To steam. (A related cooking/ drying method using steam vapor.)
• Sấy (v): To dry using a machine or artificial heat. (A more modern or mechanical synonym.)

Synonyms

• Phơi (v): To sun-dry, to air-dry. (Often used interchangeably with "hơ" for drying, but "phơi" typically implies open air/sun, while "hơ" implies proximity to a direct heat source.)
• Sấy khô (v): To dry (using a dryer).
• Làm khô (v): To make dry.

Related Phrases (Collocations)

• Hơ nắng: To dry in the sun. (A very common compound phrase.)
  • Họ hơ nắng lúa trên sân phơi. (They dry the rice in the sun on the drying yard.)
• Hơ lửa: To dry/warm over a flame.
  • Hơ lửa tờ tiền bị ướt để nó không bị rách. (Dry the wet banknote over a flame so it doesn't tear.)

Notes on Different Meanings

The word "hơ" is almost exclusively used as a verb related to drying or warming with heat. It does not have common idiomatic meanings separate from this core concept. The action is direct and physical.

verb

1. to dry
   • hơ nắng
     to dry in the sun