Definition

1. Noun:

   • Socks, stockings: A garment worn on the foot and lower leg, typically made of cotton, wool, or nylon. This is a common, colloquial term in Southern Vietnamese dialects.

2. Verb:

   • To grasp, to catch hold of: To seize or clutch something suddenly, often with the hand.
   • To come upon, to find (by chance): To encounter or obtain something unexpectedly or by luck.
   • To get, to land (colloquial): To acquire something desirable, such as a job or a profit, often implying a degree of luck or opportunism.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Trời lạnh, nhớ mang vớ. (It's cold, remember to wear socks.)
  • Cô ấy có đôi vớ màu xanh rất đẹp. (She has a very beautiful pair of blue socks.)

• Verb:

  • Cậu bé vớ lấy cành cây để khỏi rơi. (The boy grasped the tree branch to avoid falling.)
  • Tôi vớ được cuốn sách cũ rất hay ở hiệu sách. (I came upon a very interesting old book at the bookstore.)
  • Anh ta vớ được việc làm lương cao. (He landed a high-paying job.)

Advanced Usage

• The verb "vớ" often carries a nuance of suddenness, spontaneity, or unexpected fortune. It is frequently used with "được" to emphasize the successful acquisition or discovery.
• In very informal or vulgar contexts, it can mean to make a large, quick profit, as in "vớ được một mẻ" (to make a killing).

Variants and Related Words

• Tất (n): The more standard, formal word for "socks" or "stockings" used throughout Vietnam.
• Vớ vẩn (adj): Nonsensical, silly, ridiculous. This is a separate, idiomatic compound word.
  • Đừng nói những chuyện vớ vẩn. (Don't talk nonsense.)

Synonyms

• Noun: Socks, stockings, hose.
• Verb: To grab, to seize, to snatch; to find, to stumble upon; to obtain, to acquire.

Related Idioms

• Vớ được của / Vớ bở: To have a windfall, to get something valuable unexpectedly (often by pure luck).
  • Hắn mua chiếc xe cũ mà vớ được của. (He bought an old car and got a real bargain/a windfall.)

verb

1. to grasp, to catch to catch, to come upon

noun

1. socks, stockings