Definition

Noun: 1. Pupil: The circular opening in the center of the iris of the eye that regulates the amount of light entering the eye by changing its size. 2. (Archaic/Literary) Child, young boy: A term used in classical Vietnamese literature to refer to a child, especially a young boy or a young male servant.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Pupil):
  • Ánh sáng mạnh làm đồng tử co lại. (Bright light causes the pupil to constrict.)
  • Bác sĩ kiểm tra phản xạ đồng tử của bệnh nhân. (The doctor checks the patient's pupil reflex.)
• Noun (Archaic: Child):
  • Trong thơ cổ, "đồng tử" thường chỉ những đứa trẻ chăn trâu. (In ancient poetry, "đồng tử" often refers to buffalo-herding children.)

Advanced Usage

• "Đồng tử giãn" / "Đồng tử dãn": Refers to the dilation of the pupils.
  • Trong bóng tối, đồng tử giãn ra để thu nhận nhiều ánh sáng hơn. (In the dark, the pupils dilate to take in more light.)
• "Đồng tử co": Refers to the constriction of the pupils.
  • Khi nhìn vào đèn pin, đồng tử sẽ co lại ngay lập tức. (When looking into a flashlight, the pupil will constrict immediately.)

Variants and Related Words

• Con ngươi: A more common, everyday synonym for "pupil" (the eye part). It is often used interchangeably with "đồng tử" in modern Vietnamese, though "con ngươi" is less technical.
  • Đôi mắt với con ngươi đen láy. (Eyes with jet-black pupils.)
• Tròng đen: Refers to the iris (the colored part surrounding the pupil), but is sometimes colloquially used to mean the pupil/eyeball.

Synonyms

• For "pupil": Con ngươi.
• For "child" (archaic): Trẻ con, ấu nhi, tiểu đồng (young page/servant).

Related Idioms

• "Theo chân đồng tử": To follow a child's lead; often implying simplicity or a return to innocent ways. This phrase is found in classical literature like the poem .

noun

1. pupil