Definition

1. Verb:
   • To cut, to trim: "xén" refers to the action of cutting or trimming something, typically to remove excess, uneven, or unnecessary parts to make it neater, shorter, or more uniform. It often implies a precise, careful, or small-scale cutting action.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy đang xén hàng rào cây. (He is trimming the hedge.)
  • Thợ in phải xén các mép giấy cho thẳng. (The printer must trim the edges of the paper to make them straight.)
  • Cô ấy xén bớt một đoạn dây thừng. (She cut off a piece of the rope.)

Advanced Usage

• "xén bớt": to cut off a part, to reduce by cutting.

  • Người làm vườn xén bớt những cành cây khô. (The gardener cut off the dry branches.)

• "bị xén": to be cut, to be trimmed (passive voice).

  • Ngân sách dự án đã bị xén đi một nửa. (The project budget was cut in half.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hàng xén (noun): This is a compound noun meaning "haberdashery" or "notions store," a shop selling small household items and sewing supplies. It is a fixed term and does not directly mean "to cut."

  • Bà tôi thường mua chỉ, kim ở cửa hàng hàng xén. (My grandmother often buys thread and needles at the haberdashery.)

• Dao xén (noun): A trimming knife or a paper cutter.

• Máy xén (noun): A trimming machine, paper cutter, or shearing machine.

Synonyms

• Cắt: to cut (a more general term).
• Tỉa: to prune, to trim (often used for plants, hair).
• Gọt: to pare, to peel (often for fruits, vegetables, or sharpening).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As "xén" is a verb, it can combine with other words, but it does not form phrasal verbs in the same way English does. The combinations are typically verb + adverb or verb + object. - Xén cho bằng: to trim to make level/even. - Xén tóc cho bằng ở phía sau. (Trim the hair to make it even at the back.)

Related Idioms

• Xén tóc, xén cỏ: A saying implying a routine or simple task (like cutting hair or grass).
  • Công việc đó dễ như xén tóc. (That job is as easy as cutting hair.)

verb

1. to cut, to trim