Definition

1. Noun:
   • Buffalo: A large, strong, domesticated ruminant animal with hollow, curved horns, sparse hair (often black), and a fondness for wallowing in water. It is primarily raised for draft power, meat, and sometimes milk in Vietnam and other parts of Asia.
   • A metaphor for strength and endurance: In Vietnamese culture, "trâu" is commonly used to describe a person who is very strong, hardworking, or stubborn.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Con trâu đang cày ruộng. (The buffalo is plowing the field.)
  • Anh ấy khỏe như trâu. (He is as strong as a buffalo.)
  • Thịt trâu rất ngon. (Buffalo meat is very tasty.)

Advanced Usage

• "trâu bò": A colloquial term used to describe behavior that is stubborn, foolish, or bull-headed.

  • Đừng có trâu bò như vậy! (Don't be so stubborn/bull-headed!)

• "đầu trâu mặt ngựa": An idiom meaning "ruffian" or "hoodlum," describing someone with a fierce, ugly, or criminal appearance.

  • Bọn đầu trâu mặt ngựa đó lại gây rối. (Those hoodlums are causing trouble again.)

Variants and Related Words

• Trâu nước (n): Water buffalo. The specific species (Bubalus bubalis) common in Southeast Asia.

  • Trâu nước là biểu tượng của nông thôn Việt Nam. (The water buffalo is a symbol of the Vietnamese countryside.)

• Trâu rừng (n): Wild buffalo or wild ox (e.g., African cape buffalo).

  • Trâu rừng châu Phi rất hung dữ. (The African cape buffalo is very aggressive.)

Synonyms

• Buffalo: The direct animal equivalent.
• Bison: A different but similarly large, powerful bovine animal (note: not the same species).
• Ox: A castrated bull used for draft work, often used metaphorically for strength similar to "trâu."

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Khỏe như trâu: As strong as an ox/buffalo. Used to compliment someone's physical strength.

  • Vận động viên cử tạ khỏe như trâu. (The weightlifter is as strong as an ox.)

• Trâu buộc ghét trâu ăn: Literally "The tethered buffalo hates the grazing buffalo." Means to be jealous or envious of another's advantage or benefit.

  • Hắn ta trâu buộc ghét trâu ăn khi thấy đồng nghiệp được thăng chức. (He was green with envy when he saw his colleague get promoted.)

• Trâu chậm uống nước đục: Literally "The slow buffalo drinks muddy water." Similar to "The early bird gets the worm," meaning those who are slow or late will get the inferior result.

  • Phải nhanh lên, không thì trâu chậm uống nước đục đấy. (Hurry up, or you'll be left with the scraps.)

noun

1. buffalo