Definitions

1. Verb:
   • To sow, to plant seeds: To place individual seeds into prepared soil so they can germinate and grow into plants.
   • To add, to put in: To introduce a substance into something to create a desired effect.
   • To insert, to fit: To put an object into something made to hold it tightly and securely.
   • To attach, to mount: To install or affix an important component to make an object complete.
   • To interrogate, to torture: To question harshly or use threats and violence to force someone to reveal the truth.
   • To look up, to consult: To search for specific information, data, or a needed detail within a specialized book or systematically organized records.
   • (Dialectal) To be old: Used to describe someone as being very old.

Usage Examples

• To sow:
  • Bà ngoại đang tra hạt đậu vào luống đất. (Grandma is sowing bean seeds into the garden bed.)
• To add:
  • Hãy tra một chút muối vào nước canh. (Please add a little salt to the soup.)
• To insert/fit:
  • Anh ấy tra chìa khóa vào ổ và mở cửa. (He inserted the key into the lock and opened the door.)
• To attach:
  • Thợ mộc cần tra bản lề vào cánh cửa. (The carpenter needs to attach the hinges to the door.)
• To interrogate:
  • Cảnh sát phải tra hỏi nghi phạm. (The police had to interrogate the suspect.)
• To look up:
  • Khi gặp từ mới, bạn nên tra từ điển. (When you encounter a new word, you should look it up in the dictionary.)
• (Dialectal) To be old:
  • Ông cụ ấy đã tra lắm rồi. (That old man is already very old.)

Advanced Usage

• "tra tấn": To torture (physically or mentally).
  • Không được phép tra tấn tù nhân. (It is not permitted to torture prisoners.)
• "tra cứu": To look up, to consult (often for official or detailed information).
  • Bạn có thể tra cứu thông tin chuyến bay trên trang web. (You can look up flight information on the website.)
• "tra khảo": To interrogate, to cross-examine (in a formal or legal context).
  • Luật sư sẽ tra khảo nhân chứng tại tòa. (The lawyer will cross-examine the witness in court.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tra hỏi (v): To question, to interrogate.
  • Công an đang tra hỏi người liên quan. (The police are questioning the person involved.)
• Tra từ (v): To look up a word (in a dictionary).
  • Tôi thường tra từ tiếng Anh trên điện thoại. (I often look up English words on my phone.)
• Tra hạt (v): To sow seeds.
  • Mùa xuân là thời điểm thích hợp để tra hạt. (Spring is the suitable time to sow seeds.)
• Tra chuốt (adj): (Literary) Meticulous, careful, polished (in work or speech).
  • Bài phát biểu của ông ấy rất tra chuốt. (His speech was very polished.)

Synonyms

• Gieo: To sow (seeds).
• Thêm vào: To add into.
• Lắp: To install, to assemble.
• Tra hỏi: To interrogate.
• Tìm kiếm: To search for (information).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As a Vietnamese verb, "tra" often combines with other words to form specific phrases rather than phrasal verbs in the English sense. - Tra vào: To insert into, to put into. - Tra tay vào túi. (Put your hands into your pockets.) - Tra ra: To find out through searching/consulting. - Tôi đã tra ra nguyên nhân lỗi. (I found out the cause of the error.)

Related Idioms

• Tra nam, vấn nữ: (Ancient custom) Refers to the process of asking about the birth details (like date, hour) of a prospective bride and groom for a marriage compatibility assessment. It symbolizes thorough inquiry.
  • Theo phong tục xưa, trước khi cưới phải qua lễ tra nam, vấn nữ. (According to old customs, before marriage, there must be the ceremony of inquiring about the groom and asking about the bride.)
• Trai khôn tìm vợ chợ đông, gái khôn tìm chồng giữa chốn ba quân: (Proverb) A wise man finds a wife at a busy market (many choices), a wise woman finds a husband among the soldiers (brave, disciplined). It highlights strategic searching or choosing in different contexts. The word "tìm" (to find) relates to the "searching" sense of "tra".
  • Câu tục ngữ "Trai khôn tìm vợ chợ đông, gái khôn tìm chồng giữa chốn ba quân" nói về cách chọn người bạn đời. (The proverb "A wise man finds a wife at a busy market, a wise woman finds a husband among the troops" talks about how to choose a life partner.)

verb

1. to fit in to add, to apply to look up, to consult