anh nhi
Definition
- Noun (Archaic, Formal):
- Infant; young child: A literary and somewhat archaic term referring to a very young child or baby, often used in poetic, classical, or formal contexts.
- Babe; suckling: Emphasizes the stage of early infancy.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Trong thơ cổ, hình ảnh anh nhi thường tượng trưng cho sự ngây thơ, thuần khiết. (In classical poetry, the image of an anh nhi often symbolizes innocence and purity.)
- Người mẹ âu yếm ôm anh nhi vào lòng. (The mother tenderly held the infant to her bosom.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily found in classical Vietnamese literature, religious texts, or formal writing. It is rarely used in modern everyday conversation, where words like "em bé" or "trẻ sơ sinh" are standard.
- It can carry a connotation of tenderness, vulnerability, or spiritual purity.
Variants and Related Words
Hài nhi (n): Another formal/literary term for infant or baby, very similar in usage and register to anh nhi.
- Chúa Hài Đồng (The Infant Jesus).
Em bé (n): The common, modern word for baby or young child.
- Trẻ sơ sinh (n): Newborn infant.
Synonyms
- Infant: A very young child.
- Babe: A literary term for a baby.
- Suckling: A nursing infant.
Related Idioms
- While itself is not commonly part of idioms, it belongs to a set of classical vocabulary used in fixed literary or religious expressions, such as those describing familial love or spiritual innocence.