nhai

Definition

Verb:
- To chew: To crush and grind food between the teeth in preparation for swallowing and digestion.
- To masticate: A more formal or technical term for the process of chewing.
- To ruminate: Literally, to chew again food that has been regurgitated (as done by cows); figuratively, it can mean to think deeply about something.
Verb (colloquial/extended usage):
- To repeat mindlessly / to parrot: To say or study something by rote, repeating it without real understanding or progress.

Usage Examples

Verb:
- Trẻ con cần nhai kỹ thức ăn. (Children need to chew their food thoroughly.)
- Con bò đang nhai lại cỏ. (The cow is ruminating.)
- Đừng có nhai đi nhai lại một câu chuyện cũ. (Don't keep repeating the same old story.)

Advanced Usage

"nhai lại": Literally "to chew again"; often used figuratively to mean rehashing old ideas or information.
- Bài báo đó chỉ nhai lại những quan điểm lỗi thời. (That article just rehashes outdated viewpoints.)

Variants and Related Words

Nhai kỹ (v): To chew thoroughly.
- Nhai kỹ no lâu. (Chewing thoroughly makes you feel full longer.)
Nhái (v): A near-homophone meaning to imitate or mimic, often used for copying someone's voice or style.
- Anh ấy nhái giọng ca sĩ rất giống. (He mimics the singer's voice very well.)

Synonyms

Related Idioms

Tay làm hàm nhai: Literally "hands work, jaws chew"; means you must work to eat, emphasizing self-reliance.
- Nhớ câu tay làm hàm nhai, đừng trông chờ vào ai. (Remember the saying "hands work, jaws chew," don't rely on anyone.)
Nhai không kỹ, nuốt không trôi: Literally "if you don't chew carefully, you can't swallow"; means if you don't prepare or do something carefully, you cannot succeed.
- Làm việc phải cẩn thận, nhai không kỹ nuốt không trôi đấy. (You must work carefully; if you don't chew carefully, you can't swallow.)

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