Definition

1. Noun:
   • Wiping cloth: A piece of fabric, often made of absorbent material like cotton or microfiber, used for cleaning, drying, or wiping surfaces, objects, or the body.
   • Dish towel / Tea towel: A cloth specifically used for drying dishes, utensils, or hands in the kitchen.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cô ấy dùng khăn lau để lau khô bát đĩa. (She uses a dish towel to dry the dishes.)
  • Sau khi rửa tay, anh ấy lấy khăn lau trên giá. (After washing his hands, he took the hand towel from the rack.)
  • Hãy dùng khăn lau này để lau bàn. (Please use this wiping cloth to clean the table.)

Advanced Usage

• Implied Specificity: The word "khăn lau" is general. The specific object being wiped is often understood from context (e.g., khăn lau bát = dish towel, khăn lau tay = hand towel, khăn lau bếp = kitchen cloth).
  • Anh đưa cho tôi khăn lau. (He handed me the cloth [for wiping, context tells us what].)

Variants and Related Words

• Khăn tắm (n): Bath towel. (A large towel for drying the body after bathing.)
• Khăn mặt (n): Face towel. (A small towel for drying the face.)
• Khăn giấy (n): Paper towel. (Disposable absorbent paper used for wiping.)
• Giẻ lau (n): Rag. (Often an old piece of cloth used for rough cleaning.)

Synonyms

• Vải lau (n): Wiping fabric/cloth. (A more general term for any fabric used for wiping.)
• Khăn (n): Towel, cloth. (A broader term that can mean any type of towel or scarf.)

Related Phrases (Compound Nouns)

• Khăn lau bát (n): Dish towel, tea towel.
• Khăn lau tay (n): Hand towel.
• Khăn lau bếp (n): Kitchen cloth, kitchen towel.
• Khăn lau đa năng (n): Multi-purpose cleaning cloth.

Related Idioms

Note: There are no common idioms that use the exact phrase "khăn lau" as a metaphorical element. Idioms typically use the more general word "khăn" (towel).

1. Wiping cloth