Definition

Verb: - To celebrate the Lunar New Year (Tet): This is the primary meaning. It refers to the comprehensive set of activities, customs, and enjoyment associated with observing the Vietnamese Lunar New Year festival. It encompasses not only eating special food but also engaging in traditions, spending time with family, and participating in festive activities.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cả gia đình tôi sẽ về quê ăn Tết. (My whole family will return to our hometown to celebrate Tet.)
  • Ăn Tết ở thành phố thường yên tĩnh hơn ở nông thôn. (Celebrating Tet in the city is usually quieter than in the countryside.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase "ăn Tết" inherently carries a sense of duration and immersion in the holiday period, not just a single event. It implies partaking in the entire festive season.
• It can be used in a comparative or qualitative sense.
  • Năm nay công ty làm ăn tốt nên nhân viên ăn Tết vui vẻ. (This year the company did good business, so the employees had a joyful Tet celebration.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đón Tết (v): to welcome the New Year. This is a very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "ăn Tết."
  • Mọi người đang tất bật chuẩn bị để đón Tết. (Everyone is busy preparing to welcome Tet.)
• Chúc Tết (v): to offer New Year's wishes.
  • Sáng mùng Một, con cháu chúc Tết ông bà. (On the first morning, the grandchildren offer New Year's wishes to their grandparents.)
• Năm mới (n): New Year.
• Tết Nguyên đán (n): the formal name for the Lunar New Year festival.

Synonyms

• To celebrate Tet: The direct equivalent.
• To observe the Lunar New Year: A more formal synonym.

Related Idioms and Expressions

• Ăn Tết lớn: To have a lavish, abundant Tet celebration.
  • Thu hoạch bội thu, nông dân ăn Tết lớn. (With a bumper harvest, the farmers had a lavish Tet.)
• Ăn Tết một mình: To celebrate Tet alone, implying loneliness during the normally family-oriented holiday.
  • Vì công việc, anh ấy phải ăn Tết một mình ở nước ngoài. (Because of work, he had to celebrate Tet alone abroad.)

verb

1. to celebrate the New Year