Definitions

1. Noun:

   • Ferment, yeast, leaven: An organic substance, often consisting of living cells (like yeast), that causes chemical reactions such as fermentation, used in making alcoholic beverages, bread, etc.
   • Glaze, enamel: A vitreous coating fused onto the surface of pottery, porcelain, or metal to make it glossy, colored, or rust-resistant.
   • Enamel (of teeth): The hard, glossy, white outer layer covering the crown of a tooth.

2. Verb:

   • To go along, to follow, to skirt: To move along the length or edge of something.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Ferment):
  • Bánh mì cần có men để nở. (Bread needs yeast to rise.)
  • Nho sẽ lên men để thành rượu vang. (Grapes will ferment to become wine.)
• Noun (Glaze):
  • Chiếc bình gốm này có lớp men màu ngọc bích rất đẹp. (This ceramic vase has a beautiful jade-colored glaze.)
  • Chảo gang tráng men rất dễ vệ sinh. (An enamel-coated cast iron pan is very easy to clean.)
• Noun (Tooth Enamel):
  • Uống nhiều nước ngọt có thể làm mòn men răng. (Drinking lots of soda can erode tooth enamel.)
• Verb (To go along):
  • Chúng tôi men theo con đường mòn nhỏ qua rừng. (We followed the small trail through the forest.)
  • Con thuyền men bờ sông mà đi. (The boat skirted the riverbank as it went.)

Advanced Usage

• "Lên men": To ferment.
  • Sữa chua được tạo ra từ quá trình sữa lên men. (Yogurt is created from the fermentation of milk.)
• "Men say": Tipsy, slightly drunk (literally, 'ferment intoxication').
  • Anh ấy uống một ly và bắt đầu hơi men say. (He drank one glass and started to feel a bit tipsy.)

Variants and Related Words

• Men men (verb): To move along slowly or closely, to edge along.
  • Nó men men lại gần để nghe lỏm câu chuyện. (He edged closer to eavesdrop on the conversation.)
• Men theo (phrasal verb): To go along, to follow along (often used with the verb).
  • Men theo bờ kênh, chúng tôi tìm thấy ngôi nhà. (Following the canal bank, we found the house.)

Synonyms

• For men (ferment): Chất gây men, vi sinh vật lên men.
• For men (glaze): Lớp phủ, lớp tráng.
• For men (to go along): Đi dọc theo, đi sát, bám theo.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Men bờ / men theo bờ: To go along the shore/bank.
  • Đoàn người men bờ biển tìm đường về. (The group went along the seashore to find their way back.)
• Men tường: To go along/skirt a wall.
  • Cậu bé men tường để tránh bị phát hiện. (The boy skirted the wall to avoid being seen.)

Related Idioms

• "Men rượu": Literally 'wine ferment/yeast'; refers to the intoxicating element or the state of being influenced by alcohol.
  • Câu chuyện dưới men rượu thường vui vẻ hơn. (Conversations under the influence are often more cheerful.)
• "Đồ sứ có men, người có duyên": A saying comparing the glaze on porcelain to a person's charm or grace (literally, 'Porcelain has glaze, a person has charm').

noun

1. enamed
   • men răng
     enamend of the teeth

noun

1. ferment
   • lên men
     to ferment
   • men rượu
     ferment wine