đồng hồ
Definition
Noun:
- Clock: A device used to measure and display time, typically designed to be placed on a wall, a table, or a larger structure (e.g., a tower).
- Watch: A small timepiece designed to be worn on a person's wrist (wristwatch) or carried in a pocket (pocket watch).
Noun (extended usage):
- Meter / Gauge: An instrument or device that measures and displays the amount, rate, or level of something, such as speed, pressure, or electricity. This usage often forms compound nouns.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Timepiece):
- Đồng hồ trên tường chỉ 3 giờ. (The clock on the wall says 3 o'clock.)
- Cô ấy được tặng một chiếc đồng hồ đeo tay. (She was given a wristwatch.)
- Noun (Meter):
- Anh ấy nhìn vào đồng hồ tốc độ. (He looked at the speedometer.)
- Đồng hồ điện trong nhà chạy rất nhanh. (The electricity meter in the house runs very fast.)
Advanced Usage
- "đồng hồ cát": hourglass, sandglass.
- Đồng hồ cát đo thời gian bằng cát chảy. (An hourglass measures time by flowing sand.)
- "đồng hồ báo thức": alarm clock.
- Đồng hồ báo thức reo lúc 6 giờ sáng. (The alarm clock rings at 6 a.m.)
- "chạy như đồng hồ": to run like clockwork (an idiom meaning to function very precisely and regularly).
- Dự án này chạy như đồng hồ. (This project runs like clockwork.)
Variants and Related Words
- Đồng hồ nước (n): water meter.
- Đồng hồ đo xăng (n): fuel gauge.
- Đồng hồ đeo tay (n): wristwatch.
- Đồng hồ để bàn (n): desk clock, table clock.
Synonyms
- Timepiece: a general term for a device that shows the time.
- Chronometer: a precise timekeeping instrument.
- Meter: a device that measures and records the quantity or rate of something.
Related Idioms
- Mặt đồng hồ: clock face (literal); can be used metaphorically to refer to a person's expressionless or pale face.
- Sau cú sốc, mặt anh ấy trắng bệch như mặt đồng hồ. (After the shock, his face was as pale as a clock face.)