Definition

1. Noun:

   • A flock, herd, or group: A collective term for a group of animals, especially livestock or birds, that are together.
   • A musical instrument: Specifically, a stringed musical instrument, such as a lute or zither.
   • A platform or altar: A raised platform of earth, stone, or construction used for ceremonies, rituals, or public speaking.
   • Earthenware: A type of coarse, glazed pottery.

2. Verb:

   • To play a stringed instrument: To perform music on an instrument like a lute or zither.
   • To level or spread evenly: To make a surface flat and smooth, such as leveling earth or spreading grain thinly.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Group):
  • Một đàn trâu đang gặm cỏ. (A herd of buffalo is grazing.)
  • Đàn chim bay về phương nam. (A flock of birds flies south.)
• Noun (Instrument):
  • Tiếng đàn nghe rất du dương. (The sound of the lute is very melodious.)
• Noun (Platform):
  • Nhà sư bước lên đàn để cầu nguyện. (The monk stepped onto the altar to pray.)
• Verb (Play music):
  • Ông ấy đàn bài hát cũ. (He played an old song on the lute.)
• Verb (Level/Spread):
  • Người nông dân đàn thóc ra sân phơi. (The farmer spread the paddy rice thinly in the yard to dry.)

Advanced Usage

• "đàn đúm": To gather in a group, often for fun or idle chatter.
  • Bọn trẻ thích đàn đúm ngoài ngõ. (The children like to gather and chat in the alley.)
• "đàn ca": To sing and play music, indicating musical performance.
  • Buổi tiệc có đàn ca hát xướng. (The party had singing and musical performances.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đàn bầu (n): A traditional Vietnamese monochord instrument.
  • Đàn bầu có âm thanh rất độc đáo. (The đàn bầu has a very unique sound.)
• Đàn áp (v): To oppress, to suppress (a different word, but a common compound).
  • Chính quyền đàn áp cuộc biểu tình. (The government suppressed the protest.)
• Đàn piano (n): The piano (a borrowed term, "đàn" here denotes "instrument").
  • Cô ấy chơi đàn piano rất giỏi. (She plays the piano very well.)

Synonyms

• Group: herd (for large animals), flock (for birds or sheep), pack (for dogs, wolves).
• Instrument: lute, zither, string instrument.
• Platform: altar, dais, podium.
• To play: to perform (music), to strum, to pluck (for string instruments).
• To level: to flatten, to smooth, to spread.

Related Idioms

• "Đàn gảy tai trâu": Literally "to play the lute for a buffalo's ears"; meaning to offer something refined to someone who cannot appreciate it (casting pearls before swine).
  • Giảng đạo lý cho hắn chẳng khác nào đàn gảy tai trâu. (Preaching morals to him is like casting pearls before swine.)
• "Cá lớn nuốt cá bé, thằng bé ăn hiếp đàn em": Literally "Big fish eat small fish, the big kid bullies the younger ones"; meaning the strong dominate the weak.

noun

1. flock; herd; drove musical intrument acoustic

verb

1. to play music