Definition

1. Noun:

   • A raft made of bamboo or wood: A floating platform constructed by lashing together multiple bamboo stalks or logs.
   • A piece, patch, or section: A part of something that has separated or is considered separately, often a flat, broad piece or a distinct area of a surface or subject.
   • (Specialized) A plaque or plate: Used in specific contexts like medicine (e.g., a crusty plaque) or physics (e.g., a bright patch).

2. Verb (archaic/literary):

   • To be engrossed in, to indulge in: To be absorbed or deeply involved in an activity, often to the point of forgetting other things.
   • To hear suddenly (archaic): To unexpectedly hear news or sound.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Người dân dùng mảng tre để chở hàng qua sông. (People use a bamboo raft to transport goods across the river.)
  • Sơn trên tường bong ra từng mảng. (The paint on the wall is peeling off in patches.)
  • Mỗi nhà khoa học phụ trách một mảng nghiên cứu riêng. (Each scientist is in charge of a separate research area.)

• Verb (archaic/literary):

  • Chàng trai mảng vui chơi mà quên việc nhà. (The young man was so engrossed in having fun that he forgot his household duties.)
  • Mảng nghe tin dữ, bà lão sửng sốt. (Upon suddenly hearing the bad news, the old woman was stunned.)

Advanced Usage

• "Mảng" in compound nouns: Often forms compound words specifying the type of area or section.
  • mảng đề tài: a topic area, a field of study.
  • mảng sáng tối: an area of light and shadow (in art/photography).
• "Chia mảng": To divide into sections or areas (of work, responsibility).
  • Công việc được chia thành nhiều mảng nhỏ. (The work is divided into many small sections.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mảnh (noun): A fragment, a shard; a smaller, often irregular piece compared to the broader, flatter "mảng".
  • mảnh vỡ: broken shards.
• Miếng (noun): A piece, a bit (often of food or a small part); generally smaller than "mảng".
  • miếng bánh: a piece of cake.

Synonyms

• Bè (noun): Raft (specifically for the floating vessel meaning).
• Mảnh, miếng, khoảng (noun): Piece, bit, area (for the "section" meaning, with nuanced differences in size and shape).
• Say sưa, mải mê (verb): To be absorbed in, to be engrossed in (for the verb meaning).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Mảng mất (archaic/literary): To be so absorbed as to lose awareness.
  • Mảng mất việc đời. (To be so engrossed as to forget worldly affairs.)

Related Idioms

• Mảng vui quên sầu (literary): To be so immersed in joy that one forgets sorrow.
  • Cứ mảng vui quên sầu đi, ngày mai tính sau. (Just indulge in happiness and forget sorrow; we'll deal with tomorrow later.)

noun

1. piece
   • sơn tróc ra từng mảng
     the paint is flacing off