Definition

Noun: 1. A basket: A container, typically round and deep, woven tightly from bamboo or similar materials, used for holding, carrying, or measuring items, especially agricultural produce like rice or grain. 2. A measure of capacity: A quantity of loose items (like grain) that fills one thúng basket. 3. (Short for thuyền thúng) A coracle: A small, round, basket-shaped boat.

Usage Examples

• As a container:
  • Bà tôi đan một cái thúng bằng tre. (My grandmother weaves a bamboo basket.)
  • Họ dùng thúng để chở trái cây ra chợ. (They use baskets to carry fruit to the market.)
• As a unit of measure:
  • Nhà tôi mua hai thúng thóc. (My family bought two basketfuls of paddy rice.)
• Referring to a boat:
  • Ngư dân chèo thúng ra khơi. (The fisherman rows a coracle out to sea.)

Advanced Usage

• Idiom: Lấy thúng úp voi: Literally "to try to cover an elephant with a basket". It means to attempt the impossible or to try to hide something too big to conceal.
  • Gian lận thi cử mà không bị phát hiện thì khác nào lấy thúng úp voi. (Cheating in an exam without being discovered is like trying to cover an elephant with a basket.)

Variants and Related Words

• Rổ: A basket, but typically with a more open weave and often shallower than a .
• Mủng / Mủng đựng trầu: A small, lidded basket specifically for holding betel and areca nut.
• Gùi: A backpack-style basket, often used by ethnic minority groups in Vietnam's highlands.
• Thuyền thúng: The full term for a coracle or round boat.

Synonyms

• Giỏ: A general term for a basket or a handbag. A can be similar but may imply a handle or a different weaving style.
• Lành: An archaic or literary term for a large basket.

Notes on Meaning

The primary meaning is a specific type of round, deep, tightly-woven basket. Its use as a unit of measure is derived from this primary function. The meaning "coracle" comes from the boat's resemblance to an upturned basket.

noun

1. basket