Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Very close to; adjoining: Describes a position with minimal or no space between objects or people.
   • Exact; precise: Describes something that follows the original source or requirements very closely without deviation.
   • Tight-fitting: Describes clothing that fits very closely to the body.
   • (Of water) at low tide; very shallow: Describes water at its lowest level, especially during low tide.

2. Verb (limited usage):

   • (In superstition) to be fated to cause the early death of a spouse or child: Used in the context of fortune-telling to describe a fateful influence.
   • To have a natural talent for hunting or fishing: To be skilled at easily catching game or fish.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Kê tủ sát tường. (Place the cabinet right against the wall.)
  • Bản dịch rất sát với nguyên bản. (The translation is very faithful to the original.)
  • Chiếc áo này mặc hơi sát. (This shirt fits a bit too tight.)
  • Chúng tôi đi bắt cá lúc nước sát. (We go fishing when the water is at low tide.)

• Verb:

  • Người ta nói số cô ấy sát chồng. (People say her fortune is to be fatal to her husband.)
  • Ông ấy là một thợ săn rất sát thú. (He is a hunter who is very skilled at bagging game.)

Advanced Usage

• "sát sao": Closely; meticulously; with great attention to detail.

  • Giám đốc theo dõi công việc rất sát sao. (The director monitors the work very closely.)

• "sát ván": (In board games like checkers) to be in a direct, close confrontation.

  • Hai kỳ thủ đang đánh sát ván. (The two players are in a tight, direct confrontation on the board.)

Variants and Related Words

• San sát (adj): Packed closely together; dense and continuous (a reduplicative form for emphasis).

  • Nhà cửa san sát hai bên đường. (Houses are packed closely together on both sides of the street.)

• Sát sạt (adj): Very close; very exact (a reduplicative form for emphasis).

  • Anh ấy tính toán sát sạt từng đồng. (He calculates every penny very precisely.)

Synonyms

• Close / Near: Very little distance between.
• Adjoining / Adjacent: Next to and touching.
• Exact / Faithful: True to the original.
• Tight: Fitting closely.

Related Idioms

• Sát khí: A murderous or fierce aura.

  • Đôi mắt của hắn toát lên sát khí. (His eyes radiated a murderous aura.)

• Sát nhân: To kill a person (compound word: "sát" + "nhân" [person]).

  • Hành động sát nhân là tội ác. (The act of killing a person is a crime.)

verb, adj

1. be very close to, adjoining