Definition

1. Verb:
   • To grind: To reduce something to small particles or powder by crushing it, typically using a mill or a grinding tool.
   • To husk (or to hull): To remove the outer shell or husk from grains, typically rice, using a milling or grinding action.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Mẹ tôi xay hạt tiêu để làm gia vị. (My mother grinds peppercorns to make seasoning.)
  • Ngày xưa, người ta thường xay thóc bằng cối xay. (In the past, people often husked rice using a mill.)
  • Anh ấy xay hạt cà phê mỗi sáng. (He grinds coffee beans every morning.)

Advanced Usage

• "Xay nhuyễn": To grind something into a very fine paste or puree.
  • Cần xay nhuyễn thịt để làm giò sống. (You need to grind the meat finely to make raw pork paste.)
• "Xay lấy nước": To grind something to extract its juice or liquid.
  • Chúng tôi xay đậu nành lấy nước để làm sữa. (We grind soybeans to extract the liquid to make milk.)

Variants and Related Words

• Xay xát (verb): The combined process of husking and polishing rice. This is a compound word.
  • Nhà máy xay xát lúa gạo. (The factory processes/mills rice.)
• Cối xay (noun): A mill or grinder (e.g., coffee grinder, rice mill).
  • Cối xay cà phê này rất tiện lợi. (This coffee grinder is very convenient.)
• Bột xay (noun): Ground powder (e.g., flour, ground coffee).
  • Tôi mua bột xay sẵn ở siêu thị. (I buy pre-ground flour at the supermarket.)

Synonyms

• Nghiền (verb): To crush, to pulverize. Often used interchangeably with "xay" for grinding, but "nghiền" can imply a more forceful crushing.
• Giã (verb): To pound, to crush with a pestle. This is a more manual method compared to the often mechanical action of "xay".

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Xay ra: This is not a standard phrasal verb with "xay". The correct phrase for "to happen" or "to occur" is "xảy ra", which is a different word.

Related Idioms

• "Xay đầu xay cổ": (Idiom) To work extremely hard, to toil relentlessly. This idiom uses "xay" metaphorically to describe grinding effort.
  • Ông ấy làm việc xay đầu xay cổ để nuôi gia đình. (He works extremely hard to support his family.)

verb

1. to grind, husk