Definition

1. Noun:

   • Fringe, tassel: A decorative border or edging consisting of hanging threads, cords, or strips. Often used on flags, curtains, or traditional clothing.
   • Tentacle, feeler: A slender, flexible appendage on an animal, such as an octopus or crab, used for sensing or grasping.

2. Verb (archaic/literary):

   • Should, ought to: An auxiliary verb used to express duty, propriety, or advisability. This usage is now mostly found in classical poetry and old texts.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Fringe/Tassel):

  • Lá cờ có tua vàng rất đẹp. (The flag has a beautiful golden fringe.)
  • Cô ấy trang trí chiếc đèn lồng bằng những tua rua nhiều màu. (She decorated the lantern with colorful tassels.)

• Noun (Tentacle/Feeler):

  • Con mực có tám tua. (The squid has eight tentacles.)
  • Tua cua rất nhạy cảm. (A crab's feelers are very sensitive.)

• Verb (Should/Ought to - archaic):

  • "Tua mau trở lại kẻo trời tối." ("You should return quickly before it gets dark." - from classical poetry)
  • "Tua gắng sức học hành." ("You ought to strive in your studies." - literary)

Advanced Usage

• "Tua tủa": An adjective meaning "bristling," "jagged," or "pointing out in many directions."

  • Những mũi tên cắm tua tủa trên tường. (Arrows were stuck, bristling, on the wall.)

• "Tua du lịch": A compound noun meaning "tour" or "excursion." (Note: This is a compound. The core meaning of "tua" here relates to a "round" or "turn.")

  • Công ty lữ hành đang quảng cáo một tua du lịch mới. (The travel company is advertising a new tour.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tua rua (n): A more specific term for "tassel" or "fringe." Also the name of the Pleiades star cluster in Vietnamese.
• Tua vịt (n): Literally "duck's tentacle," a humorous or colloquial term for a duck's bill.
• Tua-bin (n): Turbine (a loanword).

Synonyms

• Viền (n): Border, edge (for the fringe meaning).
• Râu (n): Antenna, feeler (for the tentacle meaning on insects).
• Nên (v): Should, ought to (for the archaic verb meaning).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Đánh tua (archaic): To attack a guard post or to fight a round.
  • Nghĩa quân đánh tua địch. (The insurgents attacked the enemy's guard post.)

Related Idioms

• Chậm như rùa bò tua: (Simile) As slow as a turtle crawling with fringes/tassels – meaning extremely slow.
• (Cây) mọc tua tủa: (Of trees/plants) To grow thickly and wildly in all directions.

noun

1. fringe, tassel feeler, antenne