Definition

1. Verb:

   • To shine (a light), to illuminate: To direct a beam of light onto something to make it visible or clearer.
   • To look at (oneself) in a mirror: To gaze at one's own reflection in a mirror.
   • To examine closely, to inspect: To look at something very carefully, often with the aid of a tool like a magnifying glass or microscope.

2. Verb (specialized usage):

   • To candle (an egg): To examine an egg by holding it in front of a bright light to check its interior quality.
   • To fish with a torch/light: To fish at night using a torch or lamp to attract or see fish.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy soi đèn pin vào góc tối. (He shines the flashlight into the dark corner.)
  • Cô ấy soi gương mỗi sáng. (She looks at herself in the mirror every morning.)
  • Bác sĩ soi kính hiển vi để tìm vi khuẩn. (The doctor examines under a microscope to find bacteria.)

Advanced Usage

• "soi xét": to scrutinize, to examine carefully (often used for abstract concepts like motives or documents).

  • Hội đồng soi xét kỹ lưỡng hồ sơ của ứng viên. (The council scrutinizes the candidate's documents thoroughly.)

• "soi mói": to pry into, to nitpick (with a negative connotation of being overly critical or intrusive).

  • Đừng soi mói vào đời tư của người khác. (Don't pry into other people's private lives.)

Variants and Related Words

• Soi sáng (v): to illuminate, to enlighten (literally and figuratively).

  • Ngọn hải đăng soi sáng đường cho tàu bè. (The lighthouse illuminates the path for ships.)

• Soi chiếu (v): to project light onto; to compare against a standard.

  • Ánh đèn sân khấu soi chiếu lên các vũ công. (The stage lights shine on the dancers.)

Synonyms

• Illuminate: to light up.
• Inspect: to examine carefully.
• Scrutinize: to observe or examine minutely.

Related Idioms

• Soi gương: literally "to look in the mirror"; figuratively, to reflect on oneself.

  • Mỗi lần thất bại là một dịp để soi gương lại chính mình. (Every failure is an opportunity to look in the mirror at oneself.)

• Soi đường chỉ lối: to light the way and show the path; to guide or lead.

  • Người thầy tốt là người soi đường chỉ lối cho học trò. (A good teacher is one who lights the way for their students.)

verb

1. to flash, to luminate
   • soi gương to look at oneself in a mirror
     to candle