Definition

1. Noun:

   • Scissors: A tool used for cutting, consisting of two sharp blades of steel or metal joined in the middle so that they open and close.

2. Verb:

   • To pull; to tug: To exert force on something to cause it to move toward the source of the force.
   • To drag; to haul: To pull something along a surface, often with effort.
   • To stretch; to elongate: To make something longer or to extend it.
   • To lead; to draw (e.g., troops): To guide or cause a group of people or things to move in a particular direction.
   • To play (a stringed instrument): To move a bow across the strings of an instrument like a violin to produce sound.
   • To raise or lower: To move something upwards or downwards, such as a curtain or a price.
   • To prolong; to extend (in time or space): To cause something to last longer or to stretch over a distance.
   • To recover (costs, etc.) partially: To regain some portion of something, like an investment.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cô ấy dùng kéo để cắt vải. (She uses scissors to cut fabric.)
• Verb:
  • Đứa trẻ kéo tay mẹ. (The child pulls his mother's hand.)
  • Họ phải kéo chiếc thuyền lên bãi biển. (They had to haul the boat onto the beach.)
  • Nhà máy kéo sợi từ bông. (The factory spins thread from cotton.)
  • Đoàn quân kéo về phía thành phố. (The troops marched toward the city.)
  • Buổi họp kéo dài ba tiếng. (The meeting lasted for three hours.)
  • Cửa hàng kéo giá xuống để bán hàng. (The store lowered prices to sell goods.)

Advanced Usage

• "kéo co": tug of war (a game or contest of strength).

  • Họ chơi kéo co trong ngày hội. (They played tug of war at the festival.)

• "kéo dài": to prolong, to drag on.

  • Cuộc đàm phán kéo dài nhiều tháng. (The negotiations dragged on for many months.)

• "kéo theo": to entail, to bring along as a consequence.

  • Lạm phát cao kéo theo giá cả tăng. (High inflation entails rising prices.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kéo bè (v): to form a clique or faction.

  • Họ kéo bè để tranh giành quyền lực. (They formed a clique to compete for power.)

• Kéo lê (v): to drag along.

  • Cậu bé kéo lê chiếc túi nặng. (The boy dragged the heavy bag.)

Synonyms

• Pull: to exert force to move something closer.
• Drag: to pull something along a surface with resistance.
• Haul: to pull or transport something heavy.
• Stretch: to extend in length.
• Prolong: to extend the duration of something.

Related Idioms

• Kéo cày trả nợ: to work extremely hard to pay off a debt (lit. to pull a plow to repay debt).

  • Ông ấy làm việc như kéo cày trả nợ. (He works as hard as pulling a plow to repay a debt.)

• Kéo nhau đi: to go somewhere together in a group.

  • Mọi người kéo nhau đi xem pháo hoa. (People all went together to watch the fireworks.)

noun

1. scissors

verb

1. to pull; to tug; to strain
   • kéo một sợi dây
     to pull at a rope