ế chồng

Thân thiện

Chị ấy lo lắng vì sợ mình sẽ ế chồng.

Definition

1. Adjective (for women):
   • To be left on the shelf / To be an old maid: A colloquial and often dated term describing a woman who remains unmarried past the perceived usual age for marriage. It carries a societal implication that she has been "left over" or passed by.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cô ấy sợ bị ế chồng. (She is afraid of being left on the shelf.)
  • Theo quan niệm cũ, phụ nữ ngoài 30 mà chưa lập gia đình thì bị coi là ế chồng. (According to old beliefs, a woman over 30 who is not yet married is considered an old maid.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in a societal or familial context to express pressure or concern about a woman's marital status. Its usage is generally considered outdated and potentially offensive, as it defines a woman's value by her marital status.

Variants and Related Words

• Ế vợ (adj., for men): The male equivalent, meaning a man who remains unmarried past a perceived usual age.

  • Anh ta lo lắng mình sẽ ế vợ. (He is worried he will be left a bachelor.)

• Ế (adj./v.): The root word meaning "to be unsold" (for goods) or "to be left over/unwanted." It is applied colloquially to people to mean "to be single" or "unmatched."

  • Mấy món hàng này bị ế. (These items are unsold.)
  • Anh ấy vẫn còn ế. (He is still single.)

Synonyms

• To be an old maid: A traditional, often pejorative term for an unmarried woman.
• To be left on the shelf: An idiomatic expression with a similar meaning.
• To be a spinster: A dated and potentially offensive term.

Related Idioms

• Làm thân con ế: Literally "to live the life of a leftover," meaning to live a solitary, unmarried life.
  • Cô ấy nói mình không muốn làm thân con ế. (She said she doesn't want to live a solitary life.)

Học thuật

1. (dành cho đàn bà) to be on the shelf