Definition

1. Verb:

   • To scratch, to graze, to abrade: To cause a shallow, narrow mark or injury on a surface, typically on skin or a smooth material, by scraping against something sharp or rough.
   • To peel off (in strips): (Regional/colloquial) To strip or peel something off in long, thin pieces.

2. Adjective:

   • Scratched, grazed, abraded: Describing a surface that has a shallow, narrow mark or injury from being scraped.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Cẩn thận kẻo xước mặt bàn. (Be careful not to scratch the table surface.)
  • Con mèo đã xước tay tôi. (The cat scratched my hand.)
  • Anh ấy bị xước da đầu gối khi ngã. (He grazed the skin on his knee when he fell.)
  • (Regional) Bà ấy đang xước vỏ mía. (She is peeling the sugarcane bark.)

• Adjective:

  • Chiếc điện thoại mới của tôi đã bị xước. (My new phone is already scratched.)
  • Vết thương chỉ là một vết xước nhẹ. (The wound is just a light scratch.)

Advanced Usage

• "Làm xước": To cause something to become scratched. This is a more formal or explicit way to express the action.
  • Chiếc chìa khóa đã làm xước sơn xe. (The key scratched the car's paint.)
• "Bị xước": To be/get scratched. This passive structure is very common.
  • Đĩa CD này bị xước nên không nghe được. (This CD is scratched, so it can't be played.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cỏ xước (n): A type of plant (Achyranthes aspera), also known as "devil's horsewhip" or "prickly chaff flower." The name likely comes from its rough, scratchy texture.
• Xước xát (adj/n): Describes minor scratches and abrasions, often used for skin injuries.
  • May mà chỉ bị xước xát nhẹ. (Luckily, it was only minor scrapes and scratches.)

Synonyms

• Cào (v): To scratch (often more deliberately or with claws).
• Trầy (v/adj): To graze, to scrape (often used interchangeably with for skin injuries).
• Cọ xát (v): To rub against, which can result in scratching.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Xước móng rồng (Idiomatic): Literally "to scratch the dragon's claw," implying a very minor, insignificant effort or result. It can mean to barely make a dent or to do something with minimal effect.
  • Số tiền đó chỉ như xước móng rồng so với khoản nợ của họ. (That amount of money is just a drop in the bucket compared to their debt.)

Related Idioms

• Xước đầu mèo (Idiom, less common): Literally "to scratch the cat's head." Similar to "xước móng rồng," it can imply a trivial, ineffective action or a very small amount.

verb

1. to scratch