Definition

1. Noun:
   • Oyster, clam: "ngao" refers to a type of bivalve mollusk, commonly found in intertidal zones with sandy or muddy bottoms in coastal and estuarine areas. It is a popular seafood in Vietnam.
   • (Archaic) A small opium measure: Historically, the shell of the "ngao" was used as a unit of measure for opium.
   • (Dialectal) A very small drinking glass: In some dialects, it refers to a tiny glass for alcohol, roughly the size of a "ngao" shell.
   • (In the compound 'chó ngao') Mastiff, guard dog: This meaning is only used in the specific compound term "chó ngao". It is not the meaning of the isolated word "ngao".

Usage Examples

• Noun (Mollusk):
  • Mẹ tôi mua một kg ngao về nấu canh. (My mother bought one kilogram of clams to make soup.)
  • Ngao sống ở vùng nước lợ. (Clams live in brackish water areas.)
• Noun (Historical/Dialectal):
  • Trước đây, người ta dùng vỏ ngao để đong thuốc phiện. (In the past, people used clam shells to measure opium.)
  • Ở quê tôi, uống rượu bằng cái ngao nhỏ xíu. (In my hometown, we drink alcohol using a tiny "ngao" glass.)

Advanced Usage

• "Ngao ngán": This is a separate, idiomatic adjective meaning "bored, fed up, weary". It is not directly related to the mollusk.
  • Tôi cảm thấy ngao ngán với công việc lặp đi lặp lại. (I feel weary of the repetitive work.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nghêu: (Noun) A common synonym for "ngao" (the mollusk). Usage can be regional.
  • Canh nghêu nấu chua ngọt rất ngon. (Sweet and sour clam soup is very delicious.)
• Chó ngao: (Compound Noun) A mastiff, a large breed of guard dog.
  • Khu nhà đó được canh gác bởi một con chó ngao to lớn. (That house is guarded by a large mastiff.)
• Sò, hến: (Nouns) Other types of bivalves (cockles, small clams). They are similar but different species.

Synonyms

• Clam: (General term for edible bivalves).
• Bivalve: (Scientific term for the class of mollusks).

Related Phrases (Collocations)

• Ngao sữa: A specific type of clam, often referring to clams in their plump, milky season.
  • Mùa này là mùa của ngao sữa. (This season is the season for milky clams.)
• Ngao nướng: Grilled clams.
  • Chúng tôi gọi một đĩa ngao nướng mỡ hành. (We ordered a plate of clams grilled with scallion oil.)
• Cát ngao: Sand for clams; often refers to the habitat.
  • Con ngao chui trong cát ngao. (The clam burrows in the sand.)

Related Idioms

• (Không directly for 'ngao' alone) The idiom "ngao ngán" (mentioned above) is the primary idiomatic usage containing the word.

noun

1. oyster