tơi

Một người nông dân mặc tơi đi ra đồng trong cơn mưa.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Friable / Crumbly: Describes a dry, solid substance that easily breaks apart into small pieces or powder when touched or pressed. It emphasizes a loose, non-sticky texture.
   • Separated / Not Sticking Together: Describes individual grains or particles that are loose and do not clump together, such as perfectly cooked rice where each grain is distinct.

2. Noun:

   • Rain Cape / Palm-leaf Cloak: A traditional Vietnamese garment made from dried palm leaves or similar waterproof materials, worn as protection against rain.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đất ở đây khô và tơi. (The soil here is dry and friable.)
  • Cơm nấu phải cho tơi, không được nát. (Cooked rice must be separated [into distinct grains], not mushy.)
• Noun:
  • Ông lão đội nón lá và mặc tơi. (The old man wears a conical hat and a rain cape.)

Advanced Usage

• The adjective "tơi" is often used with verbs like "đánh tơi" (to fluff up, to separate) or "làm tơi" (to make friable).
  • Trước khi trồng cây, cần đánh tơi đất trong chậu. (Before planting, you need to loosen the soil in the pot.)

Variants and Related Words

• Áo tơi (n): A synonym for the noun "tơi", meaning rain cape. ( - Wear a rain cape to transplant rice.)
• Tơi bời (adj): An intensified form meaning scattered, dispersed, or in a state of disarray. ( - Belongings were thrown all over the place.)

Synonyms

• Adjective: friable, crumbly, loose, separated, granular.
• Noun: rain cape, poncho, palm-leaf cloak.

Related Idioms

• Ướt như chuột lột: (Literally: wet like a skinned mouse) This idiom describes being soaking wet. It is related to the concept of "tơi" (rain cape) as its opposite state—being unprotected from the rain.
  • Không mặc áo mưa, nó về nhà ướt như chuột lột. (Without a raincoat, he came home soaking wet.)