Definition

1. Verb:
   • To clear away, to tidy up: To organize or arrange things that are messy or scattered, making a space neat and orderly.
   • To put in order: To gather and arrange items into their proper places.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Trước khi về, nhớ thu dọn bàn làm việc. (Before leaving, remember to tidy up your desk.)
  • Cô ấy đang thu dọn đồ chơi cho vào hộp. (She is clearing away the toys into the box.)
  • Chúng tôi phải thu dọn nhà cửa để đón khách. (We have to tidy up the house to welcome guests.)

Advanced Usage

• "thu dọn chiến trường": A figurative phrase meaning to handle the aftermath or consequences of a situation.
  • Sau cuộc tranh cãi, anh ấy phải ở lại để thu dọn chiến trường. (After the argument, he had to stay to deal with the aftermath.)
• "thu dọn hành lý": To pack up one's luggage or belongings.
  • Tôi cần thu dọn hành lý trước chuyến bay sáng mai. (I need to pack my luggage before tomorrow morning's flight.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dọn dẹp (verb): To clean up, to tidy. Often used interchangeably with "thu dọn," but can imply a more thorough cleaning.
  • Cuối tuần này chúng ta sẽ dọn dẹp nhà kho. (This weekend we will clean up the storage room.)
• Sắp xếp (verb): To arrange, to organize. Focuses more on ordering items systematically.
  • Cô ấy sắp xếp sách trên giá rất ngăn nắp. (She arranges the books on the shelf very neatly.)

Synonyms

• Dọn: To clean, to clear.
• Thu xếp: To arrange, to settle (often used for abstract things like time or work, but can overlap with "thu dọn" for physical objects).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Thu dọn gọn gàng: To tidy up neatly.
  • Căn phòng đã được thu dọn gọn gàng. (The room has been tidied up neatly.)
• Thu dọn sạch sẽ: To clean up thoroughly.
  • Hãy thu dọn sạch sẽ nhà bếp sau khi nấu ăn. (Please clean up the kitchen thoroughly after cooking.)

Related Idioms

• "Thu dọn nợ nần": To settle or clear up debts (figurative).
  • Anh ta làm việc cật lực để thu dọn nợ nần. (He works hard to clear up his debts.)
• "Thu dọn tàn cuộc": To clean up the mess at the end of a situation or event.
  • Sau bữa tiệc, ai sẽ thu dọn tàn cuộc đây? (After the party, who will clean up the mess?)

verb

1. to clear away, to tidy up