ăn chay

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The Vietnamese word "ăn chay" means "to follow a vegetarian diet" or "to eat vegetarian food." It refers to a way of eating that does not include meat, fish, or animal products. People who eat this way are often called "vegetarians."

Usage Instructions

You can use "ăn chay" to describe someone’s eating habits. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts.

Examples

1. Basic Sentence:

   • "Họ ăn chay quanh năm suốt tháng."
   • (They keep a vegetarian diet all year round.)

2. Specific Context:

   • "Tôi ăn chay vì tôi yêu động vật."
   • (I eat vegetarian because I love animals.)

Advanced Usage

In more advanced contexts, "ăn chay" can also be connected to cultural or religious practices. Many Buddhists, for example, choose to eat vegetarian food as part of their beliefs.

Word Variants

• "Chay": This part of the phrase means "vegetarian" and can be used on its own in various contexts, such as "món chay" (vegetarian dishes).
• "Ăn": This translates to "eat," and can be combined with other foods or diets, such as "ăn mặn" (to eat meat).

Different Meanings

While "ăn chay" specifically refers to a vegetarian diet, the word "chay" alone can also mean "to fast" in different contexts, particularly when discussing religious practices where one abstains from food for a period.

Synonyms

• "Ăn kiêng": This means "to diet" but is broader and can include various types of dietary restrictions, not just vegetarianism.
• "Chay trường": This means "strict vegetarian" or someone who is committed to a vegetarian lifestyle.

Academic

verb

1. To keep a vegetarian diet
   • họ ăn chay quanh năm suốt tháng, họ ăn chay trường
     they keep a vegetarian diet all year round