bác mẹ

Con luôn biết ơn công lao sinh thành của bác mẹ.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Parents: A respectful and somewhat formal term for one's own parents, or a polite way to refer to someone else's parents. It carries a tone of reverence and filial piety.
   • Uncle and Aunt: In some contexts, it can be used as a polite, collective term for an older married couple, similar to "uncle and aunt," especially when showing respect.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Con luôn biết ơn công lao sinh thành của bác mẹ. (I am always grateful for the birth and upbringing given by my parents.)
  • Bác mẹ có khỏe không ạ? (How are your parents? [A polite inquiry])
  • Cháu chào bác mẹ! (Hello, uncle and aunt! [A respectful greeting to an older couple])

Advanced Usage

• "Bác mẹ già": Elderly parents.

  • Anh ấy phải chăm sóc bác mẹ già. (He has to take care of his elderly parents.)

• "Phận làm con phải hiếu thảo với bác mẹ": The duty of a child is to be filial to their parents.

  • Phận làm con phải hiếu thảo với bác mẹ. (As children, we must be filial to our parents.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cha mẹ (n): The more common and standard term for "parents."

  • Cha mẹ là người thầy đầu tiên của con cái. (Parents are a child's first teachers.)

• Song thân (n, literary): A literary term for "both parents."

  • Cô ấy mồ côi song thân từ nhỏ. (She was orphaned of both parents from a young age.)

• Phụ mẫu (n, formal): A formal term for "parents," often used in official or classical contexts.

  • Công ơn phụ mẫu như núi cao biển rộng. (The gratitude owed to parents is as vast as mountains and seas.)

Synonyms

• Cha mẹ: Parents (standard synonym).
• Bố mẹ: Parents (more colloquial).

Notes on Usage

• Register: "Bác mẹ" is considered more respectful and slightly more formal or traditional than the common "cha mẹ" or "bố mẹ." It is often used in formal speech, writing, or when showing particular reverence.
• Context: While its primary meaning is "parents," its use to address an older couple as "uncle and aunt" is context-dependent, based on the relationship and level of respect the speaker wishes to convey.
• Archaic Note: As indicated in the reference, this term can have an archaic flavor in some modern contexts, but it remains in respectful use.