kẹ
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A type of small crab: "kẹ" is a dialectal word, primarily used in some regions of Vietnam, that refers to a small crab, similar to the more standard word "ghẹ".
- Something empty or hollow: In a figurative sense, it can describe something that is empty, hollow, or lacking substance (e.g., a seed or nut with no kernel).
Usage Examples
Noun (Crab):
- Hôm nay chợ có bán kẹ tươi. (The market is selling fresh small crabs today.)
- Món kẹ hấp là đặc sản của vùng này. (Steamed small crabs are a specialty of this region.)
Noun (Something empty):
- Hạt này bị kẹ, bên trong không có gì. (This seed is hollow; there's nothing inside.)
- Mua phải dừa kẹ thì thật là xui. (It's really unlucky to buy a coconut with no meat.)
Advanced Usage
- "ăn kẹ": This is a colloquial or idiomatic expression meaning to eat at someone else's expense, to freeload, or to take advantage of someone's generosity.
- Anh ta suốt ngày đi ăn kẹ bạn bè. (He's always freeloading off his friends.)
Variants and Related Words
Ghẹ (n): The standard, more widely used word for a small crab.
- Ghẹ thường được nướng muối ớt. (Small crabs are often grilled with salt and chili.)
Kẹt (adj): While similar in sound, this is a different word meaning "stuck" or "jammed". Do not confuse with "kẹ".
- Xe tôi bị kẹt giữa đường. (My car got stuck on the road.)
Synonyms
- Cua nhỏ: small crab.
- Ở chùa (slang for "ăn kẹ"): to freeload (literally: to stay at a pagoda).
Related Phrases
- Ăn kẹ: As mentioned in "Advanced Usage", this is a fixed phrase. It functions as a verb phrase meaning to eat on someone else's tab.
- Hôm nay tôi phải đi ăn kẹ nhà anh ấy. (Today I have to go eat at his place/on his dime.)
Related Idioms
- "Kẹ như thóc giống": As empty as seed rice (a simile describing something utterly hollow or worthless).
- Lời hứa của hắn kẹ như thóc giống. (His promises are as empty as a hollow seed.)
- (tiếng địa phương) như ghẹ