Definition

1. Noun:
   • Crane: A large, tall wading bird with long legs, a long neck, and a long beak, often found in wetlands and known for its graceful appearance and migratory behavior.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Đàn sếu đang bay về phương nam để tránh rét. (A flock of cranes is flying south to avoid the cold.)
  • Sếu đầu đỏ là một loài chim quý hiếm cần được bảo vệ. (The red-headed crane is a rare bird species that needs protection.)
  • Chúng tôi ngắm nhìn con sếu đang kiếm ăn trong đầm lầy. (We watched the crane foraging in the marsh.)

Advanced Usage

• "sếu cổ trụi" / "hạc cổ trụi": This refers specifically to the adjutant stork (), a large scavenging bird in the stork family, which is sometimes colloquially called "crane" in Vietnamese due to its similar stature but is biologically distinct.
  • Con sếu cổ trụi đứng một mình trên cánh đồng. (The adjutant stork stood alone in the field.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hạc: A more literary or classical synonym for "sếu," often used in poetry, art, and cultural contexts to symbolize longevity and elegance.
  • Tranh "hạc thọ" thường vẽ chim hạc và cây tùng. (The "longevity crane" painting often depicts a crane and a pine tree.)
• Họ Sếu (Gruidae): The biological family name for cranes.
• Sếu đầu đỏ (Red-crowned Crane / ): A specific, iconic, and endangered crane species.
• Sếu xám (Common Crane / ): A widespread crane species.

Synonyms

• Grue (French): The direct translation, used in scientific or international contexts.
• Chim hạc: The poetic/literary synonym.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "Mừng như được sếu": (As happy as if one got a crane) – An idiom expressing extreme joy, stemming from the crane's valued and auspicious status in culture.
  • Nghe tin ấy, anh ấy mừng như được sếu. (Hearing that news, he was as happy as a lark [literally: as if he got a crane].)
• "Đồ sếu": (Crane-like thing) – A colloquial, mildly derogatory term for a very tall and thin person.
  • Thằng bé cao lêu nghêu như đồ sếu. (The boy is as tall and lanky as a crane.)

noun

1. crane