Definition

1. Noun:
   • Ant: A small insect that lives in highly organized colonies, often seen moving in lines. It is known for its strong work ethic and ability to carry objects many times its own weight.
   • Ant's nest/colony: The structure or place where a community of ants lives and works.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Có một con kiến đang bò trên bàn. (There is an ant crawling on the table.)
  • Tổ kiến ở dưới gốc cây rất lớn. (The ant nest under the tree root is very large.)
  • Kiến thường làm việc rất chăm chỉ. (Ants usually work very hard.)

Advanced Usage

• "Kiến bò" (literally: ants crawling): A Vietnamese idiom or sensation describing a tingling, pins-and-needles feeling, often in a limb that has "fallen asleep".
  • Tay tôi tê quá, có cảm giác như kiến bò. (My arm is so numb, it feels like ants are crawling [pins and needles].)
• "Nước mắt kiến" (literally: ant's tears): An idiom describing an extremely small, negligible, or insignificant amount.
  • Số tiền đó so với chi phí chỉ là nước mắt kiến. (That amount of money is just a drop in the bucket [ant's tears] compared to the cost.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kiến lửa (n): Fire ant. A type of ant known for its painful sting.
  • Đừng chạm vào tổ kiến lửa. (Don't touch the fire ant nest.)
• Kiến ba khoang (n): Rove beetle. (Note: This is not actually an ant but a beetle, but it is commonly referred to with "kiến" in its name in Vietnamese.)
• Kiến thức (n): Knowledge. (This is a compound word where "kiến" is a Sino-Vietnamese root meaning "to see/to know", not related to the insect.)
• Đội kiến (n): A column or line of marching ants.

Synonyms

• Formica (n): The scientific genus name for many ant species. (Technical term)
• Kiến cánh (n): Flying ant (often refers to reproductive ants during their nuptial flight).

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "Kiến tha lâu cũng đầy tổ" (Literally: Ants carrying [food] for a long time will also fill their nest.): An idiom meaning "Little strokes fell great oaks" or "Persistent effort leads to great results."
  • Cứ tiết kiệm từng chút một, kiến tha lâu cũng đầy tổ mà. (Just save little by little; constant effort brings success.)
• "Nhỏ như kiến" (Literally: As small as an ant.): A simile to describe something or someone very tiny.
  • Đứa bé nhỏ như kiến vậy. (The child is as small as an ant.)

noun

1. ant
   • ổ kiến
     ant-holl; ant's nest
2. con kiến