Definition

Verb: - To eat (a dish) without rice: The action of consuming a savory dish, typically meant to accompany rice, by itself as the main food item. This often implies a casual, snack-like, or indulgent manner of eating.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Tối qua tôi chỉ ăn vã đĩa thịt kho. (Last night, I just ate the plate of braised pork without rice.)
  • Trời nóng quá, chẳng muốn ăn cơm, tôi định ăn vã bát canh thôi. (It's too hot to want rice; I plan to eat just the bowl of soup by itself.)
  • Bọn trẻ thích ăn vã khoai tây chiên. (The kids like to eat french fries as a snack [without a main staple like rice].)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a nuance of simplicity, haste, or satisfying a craving outside of a formal meal structure.
• It can sometimes imply eating something in a slightly improper or unconventional way (e.g., eating a side dish as a main).
  • Đói bụng, nó vào bếp ăn vã mấy miếng đậu phụ sốt cà. (Feeling hungry, he went into the kitchen and ate a few pieces of tofu in tomato sauce right out of the pan/without rice.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ăn (verb): The general verb "to eat".
• Ăn kèm / Ăn với (verb phrase): To eat something something else (e.g., with rice).
  • Thịt kho thường được ăn với cơm trắng. (Braised pork is usually eaten with white rice.)

Synonyms

• Ăn không (verb phrase): Less common, but can similarly mean to eat something without its usual accompaniment (like rice). Note: "Ăn không" can also mean "to eat for free".
• Xơi (verb, informal): A more casual/slang term for "to eat".

Related Phrases / Idioms

• Ăn vã như mèo: (To eat without rice like a cat) An idiom emphasizing the action of eating savory food by itself, often quickly or sneakily, similar to how a cat might eat.
  • Nó đói quá, về nhà ăn vã như mèo hết nửa đĩa thịt. (He was so hungry, he went home and wolfed down half a plate of meat without any rice.)

1. To eat without rice
   • ăn vã đĩa thịt xào
     to eat a dish of braised meat without rice