Definition

Noun: * Maidservant, female servant: In feudal Vietnam, "a hoàn" specifically referred to a young female servant or maid working in the household of a noble, mandarin, or wealthy family. Her duties typically included domestic chores and personal service.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong các bộ phim cổ trang, các a hoàn thường mặc áo dài truyền thống. (In historical dramas, the maidservants often wear traditional áo dài.)
  • Cô ấy đóng vai một a hoàn hầu hạ công chúa. (She plays the role of a maidservant serving the princess.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "a hoàn" is now considered archaic and literary. It is primarily used in historical contexts, literature, films, or discussions about the feudal past. In modern Vietnamese, words like "người giúp việc" (domestic helper), "osin" (from the Japanese "oshin"), or "bảo mẫu" (nanny) are used instead, depending on the specific role.

Variants and Related Words

• Thị tỳ / Tỳ nữ: These are even more literary/archaic synonyms for a female servant or lady-in-waiting, often with a connotation of serving within royal or extremely high-ranking households.
• Người hầu gái: A slightly old-fashioned but clearer descriptive phrase for a female servant.
• Đầy tớ gái: A term for a female servant, which can carry a stronger nuance of servitude or lower social status.

Synonyms

• Người giúp việc (nữ): (Female) domestic helper.
• Hầu gái: Maidservant (archaic/literary).
• Osin: (Modern, colloquial) Housemaid/domestic helper.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The reference definition includes "Abigail." This is a cultural equivalent rather than a direct translation. "Abigail" was used historically in English literature (e.g., in the Bible and 17th-century plays) as a generic name for a maidservant, similar to how "a hoàn" functions in Vietnamese historical contexts. It is not a standard translation for modern usage.

noun

1. Abigail ; maidservant