Definition

1. Noun:
   • A woman's private chamber, a boudoir: Historically refers to the private living quarters or bedroom of a woman, especially a young, unmarried woman or a concubine in a traditional, often aristocratic, household. The term is poetic and somewhat archaic.
   • The women's quarters; the inner chambers: Can refer more broadly to the secluded part of a house reserved for women and family life.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cô ấy thường ngồi thêu trong buồng đào. (She often sits and embroiders in her private chamber.)
  • Buồng đào là nơi kín đáo của các tiểu thư thời xưa. (The boudoir was the private space for young ladies in the old days.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "buồng đào" is primarily found in classical Vietnamese poetry and literature to evoke imagery of youth, beauty, seclusion, and sometimes melancholy or longing. It is not used in modern, everyday conversation.
• It often symbolizes the secluded world of women in a Confucian societal structure.

Variants and Related Words

• Buồng khuê (Noun): A direct synonym, also meaning a woman's private chamber or boudoir. It carries the same classical and literary connotations.
  • Thơ ca cổ thường nhắc đến buồng khuê. (Classical poetry often mentions the women's quarters.)
• Phòng the (Noun): A more general term for a marital bedroom or bedchamber.
• Hậu cung (Noun): The inner palace or harem, specifically referring to the quarters for the emperor's wives and concubines, thus on a much larger and more institutional scale than "buồng đào".

Synonyms

• Phòng riêng của phụ nữ: A woman's private room (modern, neutral description).
• Gynaeceum: (From the reference context) A historical term of Greek origin for the women's quarters in a house.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Khuê các": A poetic term for the women's quarters or chambers, often used in parallel with "buồng đào" in literature.
• "Cửa buồng the": The door to the bedchamber; used poetically to refer to the intimate, private sphere of family life.

1. như buồng khuê