nồi chõ

Mẹ dùng nồi chõ để hấp bánh bao.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Steamer pot / tiered steamer: A traditional Vietnamese cooking vessel consisting of two main parts: a lower pot ("nồi") for boiling water and an upper perforated basket or insert ("chõ") for holding food to be steamed. It functions as a complete steamer set.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Mẹ tôi hấp bánh bao bằng nồi chõ. (My mother steams buns using a steamer pot.)
  • Nồi chõ rất tiện lợi để hấp xôi. (A tiered steamer is very convenient for steaming sticky rice.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "nồi chõ" can be used metaphorically to describe a very close, inseparable relationship, akin to two parts of one unit.
  • Họ thân nhau như nồi chõ. (They are as close as a pot and its steamer insert.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chõ (n): The perforated upper basket or insert of the steamer pot.

  • Đặt chõ lên trên nồi nước sôi. (Place the steamer basket on top of the pot of boiling water.)

• Nồi hấp (n): A more general term for any steamer or steaming pot.

  • Nồi hấp điện rất phổ biến ngày nay. (Electric steamers are very common today.)

Synonyms

• Steamer: A pot for steaming food.
• Tiered steamer: A steamer with multiple levels.

Related Idioms

• Thân như nồi chõ: An idiom meaning "as thick as thieves" or "extremely close," directly referencing the inseparable nature of the pot and its insert.
  • Hai đứa trẻ lớn lên cùng nhau và thân như nồi chõ. (The two children grew up together and are as close as a pot and its steamer.)