Definition

1. Verb:

   • To carve; to engrave: To cut or etch a design, pattern, or writing into a hard surface like wood, stone, or metal using a sharp tool.
   • To imprint deeply; to etch (figuratively): To fix something firmly in the mind or memory, making it unforgettable.

2. Noun:

   • A quarter of an hour; 15 minutes: A traditional unit of time.
   • (Archaic) One-sixth of a day: An obsolete timekeeping unit where a day was divided into six parts.

3. Adverb:

   • Inevitably; certainly; of course: Used to express that something will happen naturally or as a logical consequence, without needing intervention.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Người nghệ nhân khắc hoa văn lên gỗ. (The artisan carves patterns onto the wood.)
  • Lời dạy của thầy khắc sâu vào tâm trí tôi. (The teacher's words are etched deeply in my mind.)

• Noun:

  • Xin đợi tôi một khắc. (Please wait for me a quarter of an hour.)
  • Ngày xưa, một ngày được chia thành sáu khắc. (In the past, a day was divided into six khắc.)

• Adverb:

  • Anh ấy đã hứa, khắc sẽ đến. (He promised, so he will certainly come.)
  • Có công mài sắt, khắc nên kim. (With hard work, you will inevitably succeed. [Proverb: Persistence makes success certain.])

Advanced Usage

• "khắc cốt ghi tâm": An idiom meaning "to engrave in one's bones and inscribe in one's heart," used to express unforgettable gratitude or a deeply remembered lesson.
  • Ơn nghĩa ấy tôi xin khắc cốt ghi tâm. (I will engrave that kindness in my bones and heart.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chạm khắc (v): to carve and sculpt; the art of decorative carving.

  • Bức tường được chạm khắc tinh xảo. (The wall is exquisitely carved.)

• Điêu khắc (n): sculpture.

  • Ông ấy là một nghệ sĩ điêu khắc nổi tiếng. (He is a famous sculptor.)

• Khắc nghiệt (adj): harsh, severe (often describing weather or conditions). Note: This is a compound adjective where "khắc" contributes to a different meaning.

  • Khí hậu sa mạc rất khắc nghiệt. (The desert climate is very harsh.)

Synonyms

• Carve/Engrave: to cut into a surface.
• Imprint/Etch: to fix deeply.
• Quarter-hour: 15 minutes.
• Inevitably/Certainly: without doubt.

Related Idioms

• Khắc nhập khắc xuất: Describes a very strict, rigid, or inflexible manner.

  • Anh ấy làm việc theo kiểu khắc nhập khắc xuất. (He works in a very rigid and by-the-book manner.)

• Sáu khắc: Literally "six khắc," meaning the whole day, from morning till night.

  • Lo lắng sáu khắc chẳng yên. (Worrying the whole day without peace.)

verb

1. to carve; to engrave

noun

1. quarter of an hour