Definition

1. Noun:
   • Buddha: In Vietnamese folk culture, "bụt" refers to Buddha, often depicted as a benevolent, supernatural being who appears to help good people in distress, especially in folk tales.
   • A kind, saintly person: Used figuratively to describe a person who is exceptionally kind, gentle, and virtuous.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong truyện cổ tích, bụt thường hiện ra để giúp đỡ người lương thiện. (In folk tales, Bụt often appears to help virtuous people.)
  • Ông ấy hiền lành và hay giúp đỡ mọi người, đúng là một bụt sống. (He is gentle and always helps others; he is truly a living saint.)

Advanced Usage

• "lành như bụt": (as) kind as Buddha; describes someone who is extremely gentle and benevolent.

  • Bà cụ ấy lành như bụt, chưa bao giờ thấy bà nổi giận với ai. (That old lady is as kind as Buddha; I have never seen her get angry with anyone.)

• "bụt nhà không thiêng" / "bụt chùa nhà không thiêng": A prophet is not without honor except in his own country. This idiom means one's talents or merits are often not recognized or valued by those closest to them (e.g., family, hometown).

  • Anh ta là một kiến trúc sư nổi tiếng ở nước ngoài, nhưng về quê thì chẳng ai thuê, đúng là bụt nhà không thiêng. (He is a famous architect abroad, but no one in his hometown hires him; it's true that a prophet has no honor in his own country.)

Variants and Related Words

• Phật (noun): Buddha. This is the more formal, standard term for Buddha in religious contexts. "Bụt" is the folkloric, familiar version.
  • Đức Phật Thích Ca Mâu Ni (Lord Buddha Shakyamuni)

Synonyms

• Thánh nhân (noun): Saint, sage.
• Người hiền lành (noun phrase): A kind/gentle person.

Related Idioms

• "bụt hiện": (for) Buddha to appear; used to describe sudden, miraculous help arriving in a time of desperate need.
  • Khi không còn xu nào, tưởng phải đi bộ về thì bụt hiện, có một người bạn đi ngang qua cho đi nhờ. (When I had no money left and thought I'd have to walk home, Buddha appeared—a friend happened to pass by and gave me a ride.)

noun

1. Buddha
   • lành như bụt
     kind like Buddha
   • bụt nhà không thiêng
     a prophet is not without honour save in his own country