Definition

1. Verb:

   • To chock; to prop; to place something under: The primary meaning is to put an object underneath something else to raise its height, level it, or prevent it from moving.
   • To arrange; to set out (furniture): To place or position items, especially furniture, in a specific location or arrangement.
   • To list; to write down (items): To write out items in a list, often for an official record or inventory.
   • To prescribe (medicine): Specifically used for a doctor writing a medical prescription.

2. Noun:

   • (Botany) Millet: A type of small-grained cereal plant.

Usage Examples

• Verb (to prop):
  • Anh ấy kê cái bàn bằng một miếng gỗ. (He propped the table up with a piece of wood.)
  • Kê tủ lạnh cho cao lên khỏi bị ẩm. (Prop the refrigerator up to keep it away from dampness.)
• Verb (to arrange):
  • Cô ấy kê bàn ghế lại gần cửa sổ. (She arranged the tables and chairs near the window.)
• Verb (to list/prescribe):
  • Bác sĩ kê đơn thuốc cho bệnh nhân. (The doctor prescribed medicine for the patient.)
  • Kê khai tài sản cá nhân là bắt buộc. (Declaring personal assets is mandatory.)
• Noun (millet):
  • Cháo kê rất bổ dưỡng. (Millet porridge is very nutritious.)

Advanced Usage

• "kê khai": to declare, to list (often for official purposes like taxes or assets).
  • Doanh nghiệp phải kê khai doanh thu hàng quý. (Businesses must declare their revenue quarterly.)
• "kê đơn": to prescribe a medicine/formula.
  • Chỉ bác sĩ mới có quyền kê đơn thuốc kháng sinh. (Only doctors have the right to prescribe antibiotic medicine.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chêm kê (v): to wedge and prop; to chock securely.
  • Phải chêm kê tủ cho chắc trước khi lắp. (You must wedge and prop the cabinet securely before installation.)
• Kê đầu giường (idiomatic verb phrase): Literally "to prop the head of the bed"; figuratively means to have a confidant or someone to share intimate thoughts with.
  • Anh ấy là người tôi có thể kê đầu giường tâm sự. (He is the person I can confide my deepest thoughts to.)

Synonyms

• Prop/Chock: to support or stabilize.
• Arrange: to put things in a particular order.
• List/Enumerate: to write items in sequence.
• Prescribe: to authorize use of medicine.
• Millet: the grain (foxtail millet, proso millet).

Related Idioms

• Con cà con kê: (Literally: "the eggplant and the chicken") An idiom meaning to talk about trivial, rambling, or irrelevant things.
  • Câu chuyện toàn con cà con kê, chẳng có trọng tâm. (The story is all trivial rambling, with no focus.)
• Kê cao gối: (Literally: "to prop the pillow high") To be able to sleep peacefully without worry.
  • Làm ăn lương thiện thì mới kê cao gối mà ngủ. (Only by earning an honest living can you sleep with a clear conscience.)

verb

1. to chock; to prop

noun

1. (Bot) millet