đồ
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- Thing; object; article: A general term for any item, object, or article created or used by people.
- Type of person (derogatory): Used as a prefix to form a derogatory term for a person, expressing contempt or insult.
- (Vulgar) Female genitalia; vulva: A vulgar term used in swearing or crude speech.
- (Archaic) Teacher; village scholar: A term for a teacher of classical Chinese characters in the old Confucian education system.
Verb:
- To steam (food): To cook something by exposing it to steam from boiling water.
- To apply a poultice: To apply or spread a medicinal paste or plaster onto the skin.
- To trace (a drawing): To copy a picture or design by drawing over its lines.
- To guess; to surmise: To predict or vaguely foresee something based on known information.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- Cô ấy mua nhiều đồ mới. (She bought many new things.)
- Đồ ngốc! (You fool!)
- Ông đồ già vẫn viết thư pháp. (The old scholar still writes calligraphy.)
Verb:
- Mẹ tôi đồ xôi cho bữa sáng. (My mother steams sticky rice for breakfast.)
- Bác sĩ đồ thuốc lên vết thương. (The doctor applied a poultice to the wound.)
- Đứa trẻ đồ lại hình con mèo. (The child traced the picture of a cat.)
- Tôi đồ là trời sắp mưa. (I guess it is going to rain soon.)
Advanced Usage
"đồ đạc": belongings, possessions, stuff.
- Đồ đạc của cô ấy rất gọn gàng. (Her belongings are very tidy.)
"đồ án": design project, thesis project (in academia or architecture).
- Sinh viên đang bảo vệ đồ án tốt nghiệp. (The students are defending their graduation theses.)
Variants and Related Words
Đồ ăn (n): food.
- Đồ ăn ở đây rất ngon. (The food here is very delicious.)
Đồ chơi (n): toy.
- Cửa hàng đồ chơi rất đông trẻ em. (The toy store is full of children.)
Đồng hồ (n): clock, watch. (Note: This is a compound word where "đồ" is a component with a different etymological root).
- Đồng hồ của tôi chạy rất chính xác. (My watch runs very accurately.)
Synonyms
- Vật (n): thing, object.
- Món đồ (n): item, article.
- Hấp (v): to steam (synonym for the cooking meaning).
Related Idioms
Đồ bỏ: worthless thing, trash.
- Cái máy cũ đó giờ chỉ là đồ bỏ. (That old machine is now just trash.)
Đồng thanh tương ứng, đồng khí tương cầu: Literally "like sounds harmonize, like energies attract"; meaning "birds of a feather flock together."
- Họ trở thành bạn thân, đúng là đồng thanh tương ứng. (They became close friends; indeed, birds of a feather flock together.)