Definition

1. Noun:

   • Earldom; Count: A noble title, ranking below a marquis ("hầu") in the traditional feudal system of titles.
   • Chief; Overlord; Hegemon: The leader of an alliance of feudal vassals in ancient China. Often used in the context of striving for supremacy.
   • Aunt (colloquial): An informal term for one's mother's elder sister. Used as a form of address.
   • Rich person (abbreviation): A shortened form of "bá hộ," meaning a wealthy landowner or rich person.
   • Gunstock (dialectal): The stock or butt of a rifle.

2. Verb:

   • To put an arm around; to embrace; to hug (shoulders or neck): To drape or wrap one's arm around someone's shoulders or neck in a familiar or affectionate manner.

3. Numeral (archaic):

   • Hundred: An archaic form meaning "one hundred," as seen in some classical compounds.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Ông ta được phong tước bá. (He was granted the title of count.)
  • Thời Chiến Quốc, Tần Thủy Hoàng là một bá chủ. (During the Warring States period, Qin Shi Huang was a hegemon.)
  • Con chào bá! (Hello, Auntie!)
  • Ông ấy là một tay bá trong vùng. (He is a local rich magnate.)

• Verb:

  • Anh ấy bá vai tôi khi chúng tôi đi bộ. (He put his arm around my shoulder as we walked.)

Advanced Usage

• "xưng hùng xưng bá": To strive for hegemony; to vie for supremacy and domination.

  • Các công ty công nghệ đang xưng hùng xưng bá trên thị trường. (Tech companies are vying for supremacy in the market.)

• "bá chủ": Hegemon; overlord; dominant power.

  • Đế quốc đó từng là bá chủ của vùng biển. (That empire was once the overlord of the sea.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bá hộ (n): A wealthy landowner; a rich person.

  • Gia đình bá hộ sở hữu nhiều ruộng đất. (The wealthy family owns a lot of land.)

• Bá chứng (n, archaic): A hundred diseases; all kinds of ailments. Often used in the context of a cure-all.

  • Thuốc trị bá chứng. (A panacea; a cure for all diseases.)

Synonyms

• Noun (Title): Count, earl.
• Noun (Leader): Hegemon, overlord, chief.
• Noun (Aunt): Aunt (maternal, elder).
• Verb: To embrace, to hug, to put an arm around.

Related Idioms

• "Vạch bá" (colloquial): To expose someone's wickedness or villainous nature.

  • Bài báo đó vạch bá tên tội phạm. (That article exposed the criminal's villainy.)

• "Tầm gửi bá cành dâu": Literally "mistletoe clinging to the mulberry branch." Figuratively describes a state of dependence or clinging on to someone/something for survival.

  • Công ty nhỏ sống kiểu tầm gửi bá cành dâu dưới tập đoàn lớn. (The small company survives by clinging to the large corporation.)

noun

1. Earldom
2. Chief vassal
3. Aunt
   • thuốc trị bá chứng panacea, cure-all

verb

1. To embrace, to hug, to fold in one's arns