mổ xẻ

Definition

Verb:
- To dissect; to perform surgery: The primary meaning refers to the physical act of cutting open a body, organ, or object with specialized tools for surgical operation or scientific examination.
- To analyze in depth; to scrutinize: The extended, figurative meaning refers to examining a problem, issue, or topic in minute detail, breaking it down into its constituent parts for thorough understanding.

Usage Examples

Verb (Literal - Surgery/Dissection):
- Các bác sĩ chuẩn bị mổ xẻ khối u. (The doctors are preparing to operate on / dissect the tumor.)
- Trong giờ sinh học, học sinh mổ xẻ một con ếch. (In biology class, the students dissected a frog.)
Verb (Figurative - Analysis):
- Hội đồng khoa học đang mổ xẻ đề tài nghiên cứu mới. (The scientific council is scrutinizing the new research topic.)
- Phóng viên mổ xẻ từng chi tiết trong vụ án. (The reporter dissected every detail of the case.)

Advanced Usage

The term is often used in formal or academic contexts (e.g., scientific reports, critical discussions, news analysis) to imply a methodical and detailed examination.
It carries a connotation of precision, thoroughness, and sometimes a critical or investigative intent, especially in its figurative sense.

Variants and Related Words

Mổ (v): A more general term meaning to cut open, to operate, or to peck (as a bird). It can be used in both literal ( - to operate for appendicitis) and some figurative senses, but is less specific than for detailed analysis.
Phẫu thuật (v/n): A formal, clinical term meaning to perform surgery.
Giải phẫu (v/n): To dissect; anatomy. Often used in medical or biological contexts.

Synonyms

Related Idioms and Phrases

Mổ xẻ vấn đề: To dissect/analyze a problem.
- Cuộc họp kéo dài để mổ xẻ vấn đề tài chính. (The meeting dragged on to dissect the financial problem.)

verb