Anh

Thân thiện

Definition

1. Noun:

   • Elder brother: A male sibling born from the same mother before oneself.
   • Older male cousin: The son of one's father's or mother's elder sibling (uncle or aunt).
   • Young man: A generic term for a young or middle-aged man, often used before a profession or role.
   • Pronoun (he/him): A shortened, informal form of "anh ấy" or "anh ta" (he/him).

2. Pronoun:

   • I/me (first person): Used by a man to refer to himself when speaking to his younger sibling, his wife, his girlfriend, or someone younger.
   • You (second person): Used to address one's elder brother, elder male cousin, husband, boyfriend, or a young/middle-aged man (often to show respect or familiarity).
   • He/him (third person): An informal abbreviation for "anh ấy" or "anh ta".

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Anh tôi là bác sĩ. (My elder brother is a doctor.)
  • Anh họ tôi từ Mỹ về. (My (older male) cousin returned from America.)
  • Một anh công an đang giúp đỡ người dân. (A (young) policeman is helping the people.)

• Pronoun (First Person - I/me):

  • Anh sẽ đón em lúc 5 giờ. (I will pick you up at 5 o'clock.) [Man speaking to his girlfriend/wife/younger person]
  • Em để anh giúp một tay. (Let me help you.) [Man speaking to a younger sibling]

• Pronoun (Second Person - You):

  • Anh có khỏe không? (How are you?) [Speaking to an elder brother/husband/boyfriend/young man]
  • Cảm ơn anh đã giúp đỡ. (Thank you for your help.) [Speaking to a young man]

• Pronoun (Third Person - He/him):

  • Anh ấy/Vợ anh Mão ốm nặng, anh rất buồn. (Mao's wife is seriously ill, he is very sad.)

Advanced Usage

• "Anh ơi!": A common, friendly call to get a young or middle-aged man's attention, equivalent to "Excuse me!" or "Hey!".

  • Anh ơi, cho tôi hỏi đường. (Excuse me, could you tell me the way?)

• Using "anh" with names/titles: It is common to use "anh" before a person's name or title to show respect to a man who is not significantly older.

  • Anh Nam dạy tiếng Anh. (Nam (a colleague/friend) teaches English.)
  • Chào anh chủ tịch. (Hello, Mr. Chairman.)

Variants and Related Words

• Anh ấy / Anh ta (pronoun): He/him (more explicit than the shortened "anh").
• Anh em (noun): Brothers; a collective term for male siblings or a close group of men (like "brothers" or "guys").
  • Tình anh em. (Brotherly love.)
• Anh cả (noun): Eldest brother.
• Anh rể (noun): Brother-in-law (elder sister's husband).
• Anh họ (noun): (Male) cousin (specifies cousin relationship).

Synonyms

• Ông anh (noun): A more colloquial or affectionate term for an elder brother or a respected older male friend.
• Ngài (pronoun): Sir (very formal, not a direct synonym but a formal form of address for a man).

Related Phrases / Idioms

• Anh hùng (noun): Hero. (Note: This is a compound word, not a direct usage of "anh". It means "hero" and is listed here as a related concept of an admirable man.)
• Làm anh / Làm chị: To act like an older sibling; to take responsibility.
  • Phải biết làm anh làm chị với các em. (You must know how to act like an older sibling to the younger ones.)

Notes on Usage

• The meaning of "anh" is highly dependent on context and the relationship between speakers.
• It is a key pronoun in the Vietnamese system of address, which emphasizes age and social hierarchy.
• When used as a second-person pronoun ("you"), it implies the speaker is younger or of equal status/age to the listener (if the listener is a man). A younger woman would also use "anh" to address her boyfriend or a slightly older male acquaintance.

Học thuật

noun

1. Elder brother
   • anh ruột
     Blood elder brother
   • anh cả
     eldest brother
   • anh cùng cha khác mẹ (hoặc cùng mẹ khác cha)
     half-brother
   • anh rể
     brother-in-law (one's elder sister's husband)
   • anh chồng
     brother-in-law (one's husband's elder brother)
   • anh vợ
     brother-in-law (one's wife's elder brother)
2. First cousin, cousin german (son of one's father's or mother's elder brother or sister)
   • anh con nhà bác