Definition

1. Noun:

   • Silk: A fine, strong, soft fiber produced by silkworms or certain other insects to form their cocoons.
   • Silk thread or cord: A strand or string made from silk, historically used for musical instrument strings.
   • Filament: Any fine, thread-like fiber resembling silk, such as from a plant or spiderweb.

2. Adjective:

   • Young and tender: Describing something very fine, soft, and delicate, like new hair or feathers.
   • Young / Teenage: Describing an animal or person that is just reaching maturity or young adulthood.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Con tằm nhả tơ. (The silkworm spins silk.)
  • Tiếng đàn với dây tơ nghe rất hay. (The sound of the instrument with silk strings is very beautiful.)
  • Mạng nhện có những sợi tơ rất mỏng. (A spiderweb has very thin filaments.)

• Adjective:

  • Em bé có mái tóc tơ. (The baby has fine, soft hair.)
  • Nhà họ mua một con vịt tơ về làm thịt. (Their family bought a young duck for meat.)
  • Anh chàng trai tơ ấy còn rất ngại ngùng. (That teenage boy is still very shy.)

Advanced Usage

• "tơ lòng": A poetic term for sentimental feelings or attachments, likened to silken threads of the heart.

  • Bao tơ lòng vương vấn chẳng rời. (So many sentimental threads linger and won't let go.)

• "tơ duyên": Refers to the thread of predestined love or marriage.

  • Họ được se tơ duyên từ nhỏ. (They were tied by the thread of fate from childhood.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tơ tằm (n): Silkworm silk; the most common and valued type of silk.

  • Áo dài may bằng lụa tơ tằm. (The áo dài is sewn from silkworm silk.)

• Tơ hồng (n): Literally "pink/red silk"; refers to the mythical red thread of fate that binds destined lovers.

  • Ông Tơ Bà Nguyệt se tơ hồng. (The Deities of Marriage bind the red thread of fate.)

• Tóc tơ (n): Fine, baby-like hair.

  • Đứa trẻ sơ sinh có mái tóc tơ. (The newborn has fine, downy hair.)

Synonyms

• Silk: lụa (fabric), gấm (brocade).
• Thread: sợi, chỉ.
• Young: non, trẻ, thanh xuân.

Related Idioms

• Mành tơ: A delicate, silken curtain; often used metaphorically for something fragile or creating separation.

  • Giữa họ như có một mành tơ. (It's as if there is a silken curtain between them.)

• Lòng vương vấn tơ lòng: To have one's heart entangled by sentimental threads; to be nostalgically attached.

  • Cô ấy đi xa nhưng lòng vẫn vương vấn tơ lòng với quê hương. (She went far away, but her heart remains entangled with threads of nostalgia for her homeland.)

noun

1. silk, silk cord

adj

1. young, teenage