Definition

1. Noun:
   • Pepper plant: A tropical climbing vine (Piper nigrum) cultivated for its fruit, which is dried and used as a spice.
   • Peppercorn: The small, dried berry (fruit) of the pepper plant, used whole or ground as a pungent seasoning.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Hồ tiêu là một loại gia vị quan trọng trong ẩm thực Việt Nam. (Pepper is an important spice in Vietnamese cuisine.)
  • Vườn của ông ấy trồng rất nhiều cây hồ tiêu. (His garden grows many pepper plants.)
  • Tôi thích rắc một ít hồ tiêu đen xay lên món ăn. (I like to sprinkle some ground black pepper on the dish.)

Advanced Usage

• "tiêu" as a common short form: In everyday conversation and cooking contexts, "tiêu" is often used as a shortened form of "hồ tiêu".
  • Cho thêm chút tiêu vào cho thơm. (Add a little pepper for fragrance.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hạt tiêu / Hột tiêu: Another common term for peppercorn(s). Refers specifically to the seed/berry.
  • Hạt tiêu đen (black peppercorns)
  • Hạt tiêu trắng (white peppercorns)
• Cây tiêu: Another common term for the pepper plant.
  • Nghề trồng cây tiêu (The occupation of growing pepper plants)
• Tiêu bột / Tiêu xay: Ground pepper.
• Tiêu đen: Black pepper (peppercorns dried with the skin on).
• Tiêu trắng: White pepper (peppercorns with the skin removed before drying).
• Tiêu xanh: Green pepper (immature, often preserved peppercorns).
• Tiêu hồng / Tiêu đỏ: Red pepper (ripe peppercorns, sometimes preserved).

Synonyms

• Pepper: The direct and most common translation.
• Peppercorn: Specifically for the dried berry.

Related Phrases

• Nóng như hồ tiêu: (As hot as pepper) An idiom describing someone with a fiery, quick-tempered personality.
• Đen như hạt tiêu: (As black as a peppercorn) An idiom describing something very black.

1. Pepper