ăn cỏ

Con bò đang ăn cỏ trên cánh đồng.

Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To eat grass: The literal meaning of "ăn cỏ" describes the action of consuming grass as food. This is primarily used for animals that graze.
   • To be herbivorous: It describes the characteristic of an animal whose diet consists mainly of plants, particularly grass.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Con bò đang ăn cỏ trên cánh đồng. (The cow is eating grass in the field.)
  • Hươu cao cổ là động vật ăn cỏ. (The giraffe is a grass-eating animal.)

Advanced Usage

• In a humorous or self-deprecating colloquial context, "ăn cỏ" can be used to describe a person having a very poor meal or being forced to eat simple, unsatisfying food, implying a lack of options.
  • Hết tiền, cả tháng nay tụi mình phải ăn cỏ thôi. (Out of money, we've had to "eat grass" all month.)

Variants and Related Words

• Động vật ăn cỏ (n): Herbivore. An animal that feeds on plants.

  • Thỏ và voi là những động vật ăn cỏ điển hình. (Rabbits and elephants are typical herbivores.)

• Ăn chay (v): To eat vegetarian food; to abstain from meat.

  • Bà tôi ăn chay trường. (My grandmother is a permanent vegetarian.)

Synonyms

• Graze: (for animals) to eat grass in a field.
• Browse: (for animals) to feed on leaves, twigs, or other high-growing vegetation.

Related Idioms

• (Vật) nuôi ăn cỏ: Literally "an animal raised on grass"; sometimes used metaphorically to describe something or someone that is low-maintenance or requires few resources.
  • Chiếc xe cũ này như con vật nuôi ăn cỏ, chạy tốt mà ít tốn kém. (This old car is like an animal raised on grass; it runs well with little cost.)