xà-lách
Definition
- Noun:
- Lettuce: A general term for various types of leafy green plants, commonly used as the primary ingredient in salads. It refers to the vegetable itself, both as a whole plant and its leaves.
- Salad: A prepared dish, typically cold, consisting primarily of raw lettuce leaves, often mixed with other vegetables, dressings, or ingredients. This meaning refers to the finished food item.
Usage Examples
Noun (as lettuce):
- Tôi cần mua một cây xà-lách. (I need to buy a head of lettuce.)
- Xà-lách Romaine rất giòn. (Romaine lettuce is very crispy.)
Noun (as salad):
- Bữa trưa của tôi chỉ có một đĩa xà-lách. (My lunch is just a plate of salad.)
- Cô ấy làm món xà-lách trộn dầu giấm. (She makes a salad mixed with vinaigrette.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "xà-lách" is a loanword from the French "salade." In Vietnamese, it can be used more broadly than in English to refer to both the raw ingredient (lettuce) and the prepared dish (salad), depending on context.
Variants and Related Words
Rau xà-lách: This phrase explicitly means "lettuce greens," specifying the plant/vegetable.
- Tôi thích ăn rau xà-lách sống. (I like to eat raw lettuce.)
Salad: The English loanword "salad" is also commonly used in Vietnamese, especially in modern contexts, often interchangeably with "xà-lách" for the prepared dish.
- Anh ấy gọi một phần salad cá ngừ. (He ordered a tuna salad.)
Synonyms
- Lettuce: The leafy green vegetable (e.g., romaine, iceberg).
- Salad: The mixed dish, often containing lettuce.
Related Culinary Terms
Xà-lách trộn / Gỏi: Mixed salad. "Gỏi" often refers to a Vietnamese-style salad, which may contain herbs, meat, or seafood and is not always based on lettuce.
- Gỏi đu đủ khô bò là một món ăn nổi tiếng. (Green papaya salad with beef jerky is a famous dish.)
Nước sốt trộn xà-lách: Salad dressing.
- Bạn thích loại nước sốt trộn xà-lách nào? (What kind of salad dressing do you like?)