Definition

1. Noun:
   • Plain water; unboiled water; raw water: "nước lã" refers to water in its natural state, such as rainwater or well water, that has not been boiled, treated, or flavored. It is the most basic form of water.
   • A metaphor for a stranger; someone with no relationship: In idiomatic usage, it can metaphorically refer to a complete stranger with whom one shares no familial or close ties.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anh ấy chỉ uống nước lã. (He only drinks plain/unboiled water.)
  • Trong vùng này, người dân vẫn dùng nước lã từ giếng khơi. (In this area, people still use raw water from dug wells.)
  • Người dưng nước lã còn giúp đỡ nhau, huống chi là anh em. (Even strangers help each other, let alone brothers.)

Advanced Usage

• "người dưng nước lã": a complete stranger; someone entirely unrelated.
  • Đừng tin tưởng người dưng nước lã. (Don't trust a complete stranger.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nước đun sôi / Nước chín: Boiled water (the opposite of "nước lã").
  • Để an toàn, bạn nên uống nước đun sôi. (For safety, you should drink boiled water.)
• Nước suối: Spring water (a type of natural water, but often implies it is clean and drinkable).
• Nước máy: Tap water.

Synonyms

• Nước sống: (Literally "live water") A less common synonym for unboiled, natural water.
• Nước thường: Plain/ordinary water (can sometimes be used interchangeably in casual contexts).

Related Idioms

• Người dưng nước lã: As mentioned above, this is the primary idiom. It emphasizes a lack of any personal connection.
  • Họ coi nhau như người dưng nước lã. (They treat each other like complete strangers.)

1. Water