hớt
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To skim; to remove the surface layer: To scoop or remove something floating on the surface of a liquid.
- To cut; to clip; to trim: To cut off a part, especially the ends or tips, often to neaten or shorten.
- To snatch; to preempt; to grab opportunistically: To use cunning or trickery to take something for oneself before others can, often unfairly.
Usage Examples
Verb (To skim):
- Cô ấy hớt bọt trên mặt nồi canh. (She skimmed the scum off the surface of the soup.)
- Người đầu bếp hớt lớp mỡ thừa trên mặt nước dùng. (The chef skimmed the excess fat off the surface of the broth.)
Verb (To cut/trim):
- Thợ cắt tóc đang hớt tóc cho khách. (The barber is cutting the customer's hair.)
- Anh ấy hớt bớt phần ngọn cây để nó mọc đẹp hơn. (He trimmed the top of the plant so it would grow more beautifully.)
Verb (To snatch/preempt):
- Công ty đối thủ đã hớt mất hợp đồng lớn của chúng tôi. (The rival company snatched our big contract.)
- Hắn ta luôn tìm cách hớt lợi trong mọi tình huống. (He always looks for ways to grab the benefit in every situation.)
Advanced Usage
"Hớt tay trên": To preempt; to take something from right under someone else's nose; to take unfair advantage by acting first.
- Đừng để ai đó hớt tay trên cơ hội này. (Don't let anyone snatch this opportunity from under your nose.)
"Mỏng môi hay hớt" (Idiomatic Proverb): Literally "thin lips are prone to gossiping." Used to describe someone who talks too much or is a gossip.
- Cô ấy đúng là "mỏng môi hay hớt", chuyện gì cũng đi kể. (She truly has "thin lips prone to gossiping," she tells every little thing.)
Variants and Related Words
- Hớt hải (adj): Flustered, in a panic, hurried and confused. (Note: This is a separate compound word with a distinct meaning).
- Cô ấy chạy vào lớp với vẻ mặt hớt hải. (She ran into the classroom with a flustered look.)
Synonyms
- Vớt: To scoop out (from a liquid). Often used interchangeably with for skimming, but can imply rescuing something from liquid.
- Xén: To trim, to cut off (e.g., grass, hair). More specific to cutting plants or hair evenly.
- Cướp: To rob, to seize. Stronger and more aggressive than in the "snatch" sense.
- Chiếm đoạt: To usurp, to appropriate. More formal for taking something unlawfully.
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
- Hớt lời: To interrupt; to cut someone off while they are speaking.
- Con không nên hớt lời người lớn. (You shouldn't interrupt adults.)
- Hớt váng: To skim off the cream/rich layer. Often used figuratively to mean taking the best or most profitable part.
- Công ty lớn thường hớt váng thị trường trước. (Large companies often skim the cream off the market first.)
Related Idioms
- Ăn chặn hớt: To intercept and take for oneself; to engage in preemptive grabbing.
- Hành vi ăn chặn hớt trong kinh doanh là không trung thực. (The behavior of intercepting and grabbing in business is dishonest.)
verb
- to cut; to clip; to crop; to shear
- hớt tócto cut the hair to skim; to remove