Definition

1. Động từ (Verb):

   • To thread, to string: To pass a string, wire, or thin rod through the hole of one or more objects to connect them in a line or series.
   • To skewer: To pierce and hold food items on a thin stick or rod for cooking or serving.

2. Danh từ (Noun):

   • A string, a bunch, a cluster: A group of small, similar items connected together by being threaded or strung (e.g., keys, onions, garlic).
   • A skewer: A thin rod used for holding pieces of food together during cooking.
   • (Archaic) A personal tax or corvée labor: A historical term for a tax or compulsory labor service imposed on individuals.

Usage Examples

• Động từ (Verb):

  • Bà tôi cần tôi xâu kim cho bà. (My grandmother needs me to thread the needle for her.)
  • Người bán hàng xâu những trái ớt thành một chuỗi dài để phơi khô. (The vendor strung the chili peppers into a long chain to dry them.)
  • Hãy xâu những miếng thịt và rau củ này vào que tre để nướng. (Please skewer these pieces of meat and vegetables onto bamboo sticks for grilling.)

• Danh từ (Noun):

  • Anh ấy làm rơi xâu chìa khóa xuống cống. (He dropped his bunch of keys into the drain.)
  • Mẹ mua một xâu tỏi về nấu ăn. (Mom bought a string of garlic for cooking.)
  • (Historical) Thời phong kiến, người dân phải chịu nhiều thứ thuế và xâu. (In feudal times, people had to bear many taxes and corvée duties.)

Advanced Usage

• The noun form often implies the items are physically connected. It can be used informally to describe a group of people, especially children, following someone.
  • Chị ấy dẫn theo một xâu trẻ con ra công viên. (She took a whole bunch/string of kids to the park.)

Variants and Related Words

• Xâu kim (v): To thread a needle.
• Xâu chuỗi (v): To string into a chain or series; can be used metaphorically to mean "to connect events or ideas in a sequence."
• Xâu kết (v): To link, to connect, to interweave (often used for abstract concepts or narratives).

Synonyms

• Động từ (Verb): To string, to thread, to skewer, to pierce.
• Danh từ (Noun): A bunch, a string, a cluster, a set (of keys), a skewer.

Related Idioms

• Xâu vô, xâu ra: (Literally: to string in, to string out) An idiom describing a continuous, unending line or series of people or events, often with a negative connotation of being tedious or troublesome.
  • Khách đến thăm xâu vô, xâu ra suốt ngày. (Visitors came in an endless stream all day long.)

verb

1. to thread, to string