Definition

1. Verb:
   • To prune: The primary meaning of "tỉa cành" is the horticultural or agricultural practice of selectively cutting away parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots, to remove dead or overgrown material, control growth, or improve shape and health.
   • To trim branches: A more literal translation meaning to cut off specific branches from a tree or shrub.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Người làm vườn đang tỉa cành cho cây cam. (The gardener is pruning the orange tree.)
  • Chúng ta cần tỉa cành những cành khô trước mùa mưa bão. (We need to trim the dry branches before the storm season.)
  • Tỉa cành đúng cách sẽ giúp cây ra nhiều hoa hơn. (Pruning correctly will help the tree produce more flowers.)

Advanced Usage

• In agricultural management, "tỉa cành" is a crucial technique for maintaining orchard health and maximizing fruit yield.
• The term implies a careful, selective process rather than indiscriminate cutting.

Variants and Related Words

• Tỉa (v): to trim, to prune lightly (often used for smaller plants, hedges, or decorative shaping).
  • Bà tôi tỉa những cây cảnh nhỏ. (My grandmother trims the small ornamental plants.)
• Đốn tỉa (v): to prune heavily or to cut back severely.
• Cắt tỉa (v): to cut and trim; a common compound synonym for pruning.

Synonyms

• Prune: to trim by cutting away superfluous growth.
• Trim: to make neat by cutting.
• Clip: to cut short or trim, especially with shears.

Related Idioms

• While "tỉa cành" itself is a technical term, a related figurative expression is "tỉa bớt nhân sự" (to prune staff), meaning to downsize or reduce the number of employees.
  • Công ty đang phải tỉa bớt nhân sự để tiết kiệm chi phí. (The company has to prune staff to save costs.)