móng

Cô ấy sơn móng tay màu đỏ.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • Nail: The hard, keratinous covering at the tip of a finger or toe. For example: She paints her fingernails red.
   • Hoof: The hard, horny part of the foot of animals such as horses, cows, or pigs. For example: The horse's hooves clacked on the cobblestone street.
   • Claw, Talon: A sharp, curved nail on the foot of a bird or animal. For example: The eagle gripped the fish with its powerful talons.
   • Foundation: The base or underlying support of a structure, often built below ground level. For example: They are pouring concrete for the building's foundation.

2. Verb (less common, often in compound forms):

   • To shoe (a horse): To attach a horseshoe. This meaning is typically found in the compound "đóng móng". For example: The blacksmith will shoe the horse.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Nail):

  • Cô ấy cắt móng tay. (She cuts her fingernails.)
  • Móng chân dài quá cần được cắt tỉa. (Your toenails are too long and need trimming.)

• Noun (Hoof):

  • Tiếng móng ngựa vang lên từ xa. (The sound of horse hooves echoed from afar.)
  • Con lợn có móng chẻ. (The pig has cloven hooves.)

• Noun (Foundation):

  • Ngôi nhà này có móng rất sâu và vững chắc. (This house has a very deep and solid foundation.)
  • Công việc đầu tiên là đào đất để đổ móng. (The first task is to dig the ground to pour the foundation.)

Advanced Usage

• "Móng tay": Specifically means "fingernail".

  • Cô ấy có thói quen cắn móng tay khi lo lắng. (She has a habit of biting her fingernails when nervous.)

• "Móng chân": Specifically means "toenail".

  • Anh ấy bị đau vì móng chân mọc ngược. (He is in pain because of an ingrown toenail.)

• "Móng vuốt": Means "claw" (often of a predatory animal or bird).

  • Con mèo giương móng vuốt ra. (The cat unsheathed its claws.)

Variants and Related Words

• Móng tay giả (n): Artificial nail, fake nail.

  • Cô ấy gắn móng tay giả để đi dự tiệc. (She attached fake nails to go to the party.)

• Móng tay khô (n): Dry nail (a condition).

• Thuốc nhuộm móng (n): Nail polish.
• Đóng móng (v): To shoe (a horse). This is a compound verb.
  • Người thợ rèn đang đóng móng cho con ngựa. (The blacksmith is shoeing the horse.)

Synonyms

• Móng (as nail): Nail.
• Móng (as hoof): Hoof.
• Móng (as foundation): Foundation, base, footing.
• Móng (as claw): Claw, talon.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Gặm móng tay: To bite one's nails (a nervous habit).
  • Đừng gặm móng tay nữa! (Stop biting your nails!)

Related Idioms

• "Vỏ quýt dày có móng tay nhọn": Literally "A thick mandarin peel meets a sharp fingernail." This idiom means "Every problem has a solution" or "A cunning person meets their match." It implies that for every challenge, there is someone capable of overcoming it.
  • Hắn tưởng có thể lừa được mọi người, nhưng vỏ quýt dày có móng tay nhọn. (He thought he could deceive everyone, but every problem has a solution / a cunning plan meets its match.)