tụ
Definition
Verb:
- To gather, to assemble, to congregate: Refers to people or things coming together in one place, often spontaneously or in a group.
- To accumulate, to collect, to condense: Describes substances like clouds, mist, or liquids gathering or forming in a specific area.
Noun (Physics/Optics):
- Convergence: The act or point of converging, especially of light rays.
- Lens power: The focusing power of a lens, measured in diopters.
Noun (Electricity):
- Capacitor: An electrical component that stores energy in an electric field (short for "tụ điện").
Usage Examples
Verb:
- Đám đông tụ lại trước tòa nhà. (The crowd gathered in front of the building.)
- Hơi nước tụ lại thành những giọt sương. (Water vapor condensed into dewdrops.)
Noun (Physics):
- Độ tụ của thấu kính này là 5 đi-ốp. (The power of this lens is 5 diopters.)
Noun (Electricity):
- Tụ trong mạch điện này bị hỏng. (The capacitor in this circuit is broken.)
Advanced Usage
"tụ họp": to meet up, to convene (often for a social purpose).
- Gia đình tôi tụ họp vào mỗi dịp Tết. (My family gathers every Tet holiday.)
"tụ tập": to congregate, to assemble (can imply a larger or more informal gathering).
- Không được tụ tập đông người ở đây. (Do not congregate in large numbers here.)
Variants and Related Words
- Tụ điện (n): capacitor.
- Độ tụ (n): convergence; lens power.
- Tụ điểm (n): gathering point, hotspot (often used for places of concentrated activity, which can be positive or negative).
- Đây là một tụ điểm văn hóa của thành phố. (This is a cultural hotspot of the city.)
Synonyms
- Gather: to come together.
- Assemble: to gather into a group.
- Accumulate: to gather or build up over time.
- Condense: to change from a gas to a liquid; to become more concentrated.
Related Idioms
- Mây tụ rồi lại mây tan: Literally "clouds gather then clouds disperse"; figuratively describes the temporary and fleeting nature of gatherings, relationships, or fortunes.
- Cuộc đời như mây tụ rồi lại mây tan. (Life is like clouds gathering and then dispersing.)