bà cô
Definition
- Noun:
- Spinster; old maid: An older, unmarried woman. This usage often carries a traditional or slightly outdated nuance.
- Termagant, scold, shrew: A woman, often an older one, who is perceived as ill-tempered, nagging, or difficult.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Bà cô ấy sống một mình cả đời. (That spinster has lived alone her whole life.)
- Mọi người đều ngại bà cô hàng xóm hay cằn nhằn. (Everyone is wary of the scolding neighbor, that old shrew.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "bà cô" is often used in a colloquial and sometimes pejorative sense. It can imply not just marital status but also a certain personality stereotype—being fussy, critical, or living a secluded life.
- It can be used directly as a form of address, though this is often impolite: (Oh, come on, you old nag!)
Variants and Related Words
- Cô: Aunt; Miss; an unmarried woman. This is the neutral, polite term for a father's sister or a young/unmarried woman. "Bà cô" adds the prefix "bà" (madam, older woman), aging and often intensifying the meaning.
- Ả: (Archaic) Maiden, young woman. Sometimes used in compound words with a similar connotation to an older, unmarried woman.
Synonyms
- Gái già: (Colloquial) Old maid. More direct and blunt.
- Mụ: (Derogatory) Old woman, hag. A stronger insult.
- Đàn bà lắm điều: A gossipy, meddlesome woman.
Related Phrases
- Tính nết bà cô: To have a shrewish or spinster-like temperament.
- Cô ấy còn trẻ mà đã có tính nết bà cô. (She's still young but already has the temperament of an old scold.)
Related Idioms
- Ở vậy như bà cô: To remain unmarried and live alone (like a spinster).
- Sợ không lấy được chồng rồi ở vậy như bà cô. (Afraid of not getting married and then ending up an old maid.)
noun
-
Spinster
-
Dead nubile girl
-
Termagant, scold
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