Definition

1. Noun:
   • Soot: A black, powdery or flaky substance consisting largely of amorphous carbon, produced by the incomplete combustion of organic matter, such as wood or coal. It is commonly found coating the inside of chimneys, stoves, or old kitchen walls.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Bức tường gần bếp lò phủ đầy mồ hóng. (The wall near the stove is covered in soot.)
  • Cần phải làm sạch ống khói để loại bỏ mồ hóng. (The chimney needs to be cleaned to remove the soot.)
  • Khói từ đám cháy để lại một lớp mồ hóng dày. (The smoke from the fire left a thick layer of soot.)

Advanced Usage

• "Đen như mồ hóng": As black as soot. An idiom used to describe something or someone that is very black or dirty.
  • Sau trận hỏa hoạn, căn phòng đen như mồ hóng. (After the fire, the room was as black as soot.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bồ hóng (Noun): A common synonym for "mồ hóng," also meaning soot. The two terms are often used interchangeably.
  • Bồ hóng bám vào trần nhà bếp. (Soot sticks to the kitchen ceiling.)

Synonyms

• Nhọ nồi (Noun): Literally "pot black," refers to the soot or black residue that accumulates on the bottom of cooking pots over a fire. While similar, it is more specific than the general term "mồ hóng."
• Bụi than (Noun): Coal dust. This refers specifically to dust from coal, whereas "mồ hóng" is the product of combustion.

Related Phrases

• Bám như mồ hóng: To stick like soot. Used figuratively to describe something that clings very tenaciously.
  • Lời buộc tội đó bám vào anh ta như mồ hóng. (That accusation stuck to him like soot.)

Related Idioms

• Cháy nhà ra mặt mồ hóng: Literally "A house fire reveals the soot on one's face." An idiom meaning that a disaster or difficult situation reveals people's true character or hidden problems.
  • Sau vụ scandal, mới thấy cháy nhà ra mặt mồ hóng. (After the scandal, it's clear that a house fire reveals the soot on one's face [i.e., true colors are shown].)

1. Soot