Definition

1. Noun:

   • Cocoon: A protective case of silk or similar fiber spun by the larvae of certain insects, especially silkworms, to shelter themselves during metamorphosis.
   • Follicle / Cyst: A small sac, cavity, or gland in the body; in pathology, it can refer to an abnormal, closed sac-like structure (cyst) within tissue.

2. Verb:

   • To choose / To select: To pick out or select from a number of alternatives with care and deliberation, often implying high standards or being particular.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Con tằm nhả tơ để quấn thành kén. (The silkworm spins silk to wrap itself into a cocoon.)
  • Bác sĩ phát hiện một kén nhỏ trên buồng trứng. (The doctor discovered a small cyst on the ovary.)

• Verb:

  • Cô ấy rất kén ăn. (She is very picky about food.)
  • Công ty đang kén những ứng viên xuất sắc nhất. (The company is selecting the most outstanding candidates.)

Advanced Usage

• The verb "kén" often carries a connotation of being choosy, fastidious, or hard to please. It is frequently used in a slightly critical sense to describe someone who is overly selective.
  • Tính anh ấy kén lắm, không dễ hợp tác đâu. (He is very particular, not easy to cooperate with.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kén chồng (verb phrase): Literally "to choose a husband"; refers to a woman being very selective in choosing a marriage partner.
  • Cô ấy kén chồng nên vẫn chưa lập gia đình. (She is choosy about finding a husband, so she is still not married.)
• Kén cá chọn canh (idiomatic verb phrase): Literally "to choose the fish and select the broth"; means to be extremely meticulous and fussy when choosing.

Synonyms

• Choose, Select, Pick: To make a choice.
• Picky, Fussy, Particular: (Adjective forms describing the nature of being selective).
• Cocoon: The silken case.
• Cyst, Follicle: The anatomical sac.

Related Idioms

• Kén cá chọn canh: To be extremely choosy; to nitpick.
  • Đừng có kén cá chọn canh mãi, cái nào tốt thì lấy đi. (Stop being so fussy; just take whichever one is good.)
• Già kén kẹn hom: A proverb meaning one who is overly choosy may end up with the worst option (similar to "pick of the litter" ending with the worst).

noun

1. cocoon; follicle

verb

1. to choose; to select
   • kén chồng
     to choose a husband