Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • The Kitchen God: In Vietnamese folk belief, Ông Công is the deity who oversees the kitchen and family hearth. He is believed to watch over the household's activities and report to the Jade Emperor annually.
   • The Lares (in comparative mythology): When drawing parallels to Roman mythology, Ông Công can be likened to the Lares, who were guardian deities of the household and family.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • Gia đình tôi chuẩn bị lễ vật để tiễn Ông Công về trời vào ngày 23 tháng Chạp. (My family prepares offerings to send the Kitchen God to heaven on the 23rd day of the last lunar month.)
  • Theo truyền thống, Ông Công cưỡi cá chép để lên thiên đình. (Traditionally, the Kitchen God rides a carp to ascend to the heavenly palace.)

Advanced Usage

• "Đưa Ông Công": to ceremonially send off the Kitchen God (on the 23rd of the last lunar month).

  • Cả nhà cùng nhau đưa Ông Công với lòng thành kính. (The whole family together sends off the Kitchen God with reverence.)

• "Rước Ông Công": to ceremonially welcome back the Kitchen God (on New Year's Eve).

  • Đêm giao thừa, chúng tôi rước Ông Công về nhà để ngài tiếp tục phù hộ. (On New Year's Eve, we welcome the Kitchen God back home so he can continue to bless us.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ông Táo (n): Another common name for the same deity, often used interchangeably with Ông Công.

  • Lễ cúng Ông Táo rất quan trọng trong văn hóa Việt. (The offering ceremony for the Kitchen God is very important in Vietnamese culture.)

• Thần Bếp (n): A more formal or descriptive term meaning "Kitchen Deity."

  • Tranh dân gian thường vẽ hình Thần Bếp. (Folk paintings often depict the image of the Kitchen Deity.)

Synonyms

• Genius of the hearth: A direct translation of the concept.
• Household deity: A general term for a god protecting a home.

Related Idioms

• "Trình Ông Công": Literally "to report to the Kitchen God," sometimes used figuratively to mean to explain one's actions or to seek approval from a higher authority.
  • Việc này phải trình Ông Công trước đã. (We must report this to the higher-ups first.)

1. The Lares, Kitchen God