Definition

1. Noun:

   • Jasmine; Jessamine: A type of small plant or shrub, known for its fragrant white flowers, commonly used to scent tea.
   • Mongrel; Mutt; Mixed-breed dog: A dog of mixed or unknown breed.

2. Adjective:

   • Slightly sloped; Inclined: Having a gentle slope or tilt.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Plant):
  • Hoa lài có mùi thơm rất dễ chịu. (Jasmine flowers have a very pleasant fragrance.)
  • Trà ướp hoa lài là một đặc sản. (Tea scented with jasmine is a specialty.)
• Noun (Dog):
  • Con chó lài đó rất thông minh và trung thành. (That mongrel dog is very intelligent and loyal.)
• Adjective:
  • Con đường này hơi lài, xe đạp xuống dốc rất nhanh. (This road is slightly sloped; bicycles go downhill very quickly.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "lài" (or its variant "nhài") is almost exclusively used in the compound "hoa lài" to specify the jasmine flower. Using "lài" alone to mean the plant is less common in modern speech.
• When referring to a dog, "chó lài" is a fixed, common phrase.

Variants and Related Words

• Nhài: A common variant spelling and pronunciation of "lài", especially when referring to the jasmine plant.
  • Hoa nhài (n): Jasmine flower.
• Chó lài (n): A mixed-breed dog; a mongrel.

Synonyms

• Jasmine: The common English name for the flower.
• Jessamine: A less common synonym for jasmine.
• Mongrel / Mutt: For a dog of mixed breed.
• Sloping / Slanted: For the adjectival meaning.

Related Idioms

• While there are no major idioms with "lài", the phrase "chó lài" can sometimes carry a colloquial, though not necessarily negative, connotation of a hardy, common dog.
  • Nó khỏe như chó lài. (He is as strong as a mongrel dog.)

noun

1. jasmine; jessamine

adj

1. slight sloped