xắc
Definition
- Noun:
- Handbag; purse: A small bag, often carried by women, used to hold personal items such as money, keys, and cosmetics. This is the primary and most common meaning.
- Small bag; pouch: Can refer more generally to any small bag or pouch used for carrying items.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Cô ấy mua một chiếc xắc mới. (She bought a new handbag.)
- Chìa khóa của tôi ở trong xắc. (My keys are in my purse.)
- Anh ấy dùng một cái xắc nhỏ để đựng tiền xu. (He uses a small pouch to hold coins.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "xắc" is less formal and more colloquial than its synonym "túi xách". It is commonly used in everyday Southern Vietnamese speech.
- It can sometimes be part of compound words specifying the type of bag, though these are often treated as separate lexical items.
Variants and Related Words
Túi xách (n): The more standard and formal term for a handbag or shoulder bag.
- Cửa hàng túi xách (Handbag store)
Xách (v): The verb "to carry" (especially by hand), which is the root action related to carrying a bag.
- Xách vali (To carry a suitcase)
Synonyms
- Handbag: A woman's small bag for personal items.
- Purse: A small bag for carrying money and personal items, common in American English.
- Pouch: A small flexible bag, often closed with a drawstring.
Notes on Usage
- "Xắc" is predominantly used in Southern Vietnam. In Northern Vietnam, "túi" or "túi xách" is more common for "handbag."
- It is almost exclusively a noun. Do not confuse it with the verb "xắt" (to slice) or the classifier "xắc" (a very rare classifier for certain nouns, like "một xắc bài" meaning a deck of cards), which are different words.