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rau
/ɹaʊ/
vegetables
Tôi thích ăn rau xào.
I like stir-fried vegetables.
general
Edible plant material, typically leaves, stems, or roots, used as food.
Bữa trưa hôm nay có rau cải bó xôi.
Today's lunch has spinach.
Mẹ mua rất nhiều rau củ quả về nấu canh.
Mom bought lots of vegetables to make soup.
In Vietnamese, 'rau' is a broad term covering all vegetables, including leafy greens, roots, and tubers. Specific types may be prefixed (e.g., 'rau muống' for water spinach).
Pro Tip
Counting vegetables
Use classifiers like 'bó' (bunch), 'cọng' (stalk), 'củ' (root/tuber), or 'lá' (leaf) when specifying quantities. Example: 'một bó rau muống' (a bunch of water spinach), 'hai củ cà rốt' (two carrots).
Gold Rule
Broad term
'Rau' encompasses all vegetables, not just leafy greens. Roots like carrots or tubers like potatoes are also included.
Word Origin
From Proto-Vietic *raːw, ultimately from Proto-Mon-Khmer *raːw.
Usage Notes
'Rau' is uncountable in Vietnamese when referring to vegetables in general. For specific types, countable nouns are used (e.g., 'một bó rau cải' = a bunch of cabbage).
Từ Điển Việt Anh