bài tây
Definition
- Noun:
- Western playing cards: A deck of 52 cards divided into four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades), used for playing various games. This is the standard, modern meaning.
- (Rare, historical) Three-card monte / shell game: A gambling game involving sleight of hand to guess the location of a particular card or object. This is an older, less common usage.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Chúng tôi thường chơi bài tây vào cuối tuần. (We often play Western cards on the weekends.)
- Anh ấy có một bộ bài tây mới. (He has a new deck of Western playing cards.)
- (Historical) Trò bài tây đó là một trò lừa đảo. (That three-card monte game was a scam.)
Advanced Usage
"Đánh bài tây": to play (Western) card games.
- Họ ngồi đánh bài tây cả buổi tối. (They sat playing cards all evening.)
"Bộ bài tây": a deck/pack of (Western) playing cards.
- Tôi cần mua một bộ bài tây mới. (I need to buy a new deck of playing cards.)
Variants and Related Words
- Bài: A general term for cards or card games. "Bài tây" specifies the Western style.
- Tú lơ khơ: A Vietnamese phonetic adaptation of the French "trois couleurs" (three colors), also commonly used to refer to Western playing cards.
- Bài cào: A specific Vietnamese card game often played with a Western deck.
- Bài lá: Another general term for playing cards.
Synonyms
- Tú lơ khơ: (n) Western playing cards.
- Bài Tây 52 lá: (n) 52-card Western deck.
Related Phrases
Xào bài tây: to shuffle the (Western) playing cards.
- Trước khi chơi, hãy xào bài tây kỹ một chút. (Before playing, shuffle the cards thoroughly.)
Chia bài tây: to deal the (Western) playing cards.
- Đến lượt ai chia bài tây? (Whose turn is it to deal the cards?)
Related Idioms
- Ngửa bài tây: to reveal one's cards (literally); to reveal one's plans or intentions (figuratively).
- Đừng vội ngửa bài tây của mình ra. (Don't be too quick to reveal your hand/plans.)