trau
Definition
- Verb:
- To polish, to refine: To improve something, making it more elegant, beautiful, or effective, often applied to language, style, or behavior.
- To grind, to smooth: To physically polish or make a surface smooth by rubbing or grinding, as with stone.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Nhà văn luôn trau chuốt từng câu chữ. (The writer always polishes every word.)
- Người thợ trau viên đá cho nhẵn bóng. (The craftsman polished the stone until it was smooth.)
Advanced Usage
"trau lời": to polish one's words; to refine one's speech or writing.
- Muốn viết hay, phải chịu khó trau lời. (To write well, one must diligently polish one's words.)
"trau đức" (literary): to cultivate virtue; to refine and improve one's moral character.
- Cổ nhân dạy phải biết trau đức rèn tài. (The ancients taught that one must know how to cultivate virtue and hone talent.)
Variants and Related Words
Trau chuốt (v): to polish meticulously, to refine with great care (often for language or appearance).
- Bài phát biểu được trau chuốt kỹ lưỡng. (The speech was meticulously polished.)
Trau giồi (v): to cultivate, to improve through study and practice (often for knowledge or skills).
- Anh ấy không ngừng trau giồi kiến thức chuyên môn. (He constantly cultivates his professional knowledge.)
Synonyms
- Polish: to make something smooth and shiny, or to improve a skill.
- Refine: to improve something by making small changes.
- Cultivate: to try to acquire or develop a quality or skill.
Related Idioms
- Trau dồi đạo đức: to cultivate one's morals.
- Việc trau dồi đạo đức là vô cùng quan trọng. (Cultivating one's morals is extremely important.)