Definition

1. Noun:

   • A hedge or a fence: A physical barrier, typically made of intertwined branches, bamboo, wood, or other materials, used to enclose or mark the boundary of a garden, yard, or piece of land.
   • A barrier or an enclosure: More broadly, it refers to any structure that serves to protect, separate, or define a private area.

2. Verb (less common):

   • To hedge or to fence: The act of putting up such a barrier around an area.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Rào giậu của nhà hàng xóm rất kiên cố. (The neighbor's fence is very sturdy.)
  • Khu vườn được bảo vệ bởi một hàng rào giậu tre. (The garden is protected by a bamboo hedge.)

• Verb:

  • Họ đang rào giậu khu đất để trồng rau. (They are fencing the plot of land to grow vegetables.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a cultural connotation of privacy, security for one's home, and the demarcation between private family space and the outside world. It is a common feature in rural and suburban Vietnamese landscapes.

Variants and Related Words

• Hàng rào (n): A more general and modern term for a fence or barrier, often made of materials like metal or concrete.

  • Cổng tự động mở khi xe tiến đến hàng rào. (The automatic gate opens when a car approaches the fence.)

• Rào chắn (n): A barrier, often used for traffic or safety blockades.

  • Cảnh sát dựng rào chắn trên đường. (The police set up barriers on the road.)

Synonyms

• Fence: A structure serving as an enclosure or boundary.
• Hedge: A fence or boundary formed by closely growing bushes or shrubs.
• Enclosure: An area that is sealed off with a barrier.

Related Idioms and Expressions

• Vạch rào giậu: Literally "to draw the fence line," meaning to clearly set boundaries or rules.

  • Trước khi hợp tác, hai bên cần vạch rào giậu rõ ràng. (Before cooperating, the two sides need to clearly set the boundaries.)

• Trong rào giậu ngoài đồng: An idiom contrasting the private, secure home ("inside the fence") with the open, public field ("outside"), highlighting the difference between domestic life and the outside world.

1. Hedge, fence