kề
Adjective:
- Close to; near to; adjacent: Describes a position or state of being very near, with little or no perceived distance between objects or people.
- Juxtaposed: Placed side by side.
Verb:
- To place close to; to bring near: The action of moving something to a position very close to something else.
Adjective:
- Hai ngôi nhà này ở kề nhau. (These two houses are adjacent to each other.)
- Họ ngồi vai kề vai. (They sat shoulder to shoulder.)
Verb:
- Anh ấy kề tờ giấy vào mắt để đọc. (He held the paper close to his eyes to read.)
- Cô ấy kề miệng vào tai tôi thì thầm. (She leaned her mouth close to my ear and whispered.)
"kề cận": to be close/near (often used for abstract concepts like time or relationships).
- Ngày thi đã kề cận. (The exam day is imminent.)
"kề bên": right beside/next to (emphasizing physical proximity).
- Tôi luôn kề bên bạn. (I am always right beside you.)
Sát kề (adj/verb): Very close/right next to; to press right up against. Emphasizes even closer proximity than "kề".
- Mối nguy hiểm đã sát kề. (The danger was imminent/right upon us.)
Kềm (n): Pliers (a tool that grips by bringing its jaws close together). This is a distinct noun derived from the concept of bringing things close.
- Gần (adj): Near, close. (More general than "kề". "Kề" implies direct contact or negligible space.)
- Sát (adj/verb): Close, tight, adjoining; to press against. (Often implies touching or being flush against.)
- Áp (verb): To press, to apply. (Focuses on the action of pressing one thing against another.)
Kề vào (verb phrase): To lean/place against.
- Đứa trẻ kề vào người mẹ. (The child snuggled up to the mother.)
Kề vai sát cánh (idiomatic phrase): Literally "shoulder to shoulder, side by side"; to stand together in solidarity.
- Chúng tôi kề vai sát cánh chiến đấu. (We fought side by side.)
Gươm kề cổ: Literally "sword at the neck"; describes an extremely dangerous or life-threatening situation.
- Tình thế như gươm kề cổ. (The situation is extremely perilous [like a sword at the neck].)
Kề tai nói nhỏ: To whisper into someone's ear (by bringing one's mouth close to the ear).
- Cô ấy kề tai nói nhỏ bí mật. (She whispered the secret.)