Definition

Noun: - Spouse, life partner: Refers specifically to one's husband or wife, emphasizing the shared journey through life's joys and difficulties. It conveys a sense of deep companionship and mutual support within a marital relationship.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cô ấy là người bạn đời trung thành của tôi. (She is my loyal life partner.)
  • Họ đã là bạn đời của nhau được hơn ba mươi năm. (They have been spouses for over thirty years.)
  • Anh ấy luôn biết ơn vì có một người bạn đời hiểu chuyện. (He is always grateful to have an understanding spouse.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "bạn đời" inherently carries a formal and respectful tone, highlighting the bond of partnership more than the legal or casual aspects of marriage. It is often used in reflective, appreciative, or descriptive contexts about marriage.
• It can be used in abstract or philosophical discussions about marriage: (Love and respect are the foundation of a lasting marital companionship.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bạn trăm năm (noun): Literally "century-long friend"; a poetic synonym for spouse, emphasizing lifelong commitment.
• Vợ/chồng (noun): The more common and direct words for "wife" and "husband." "Bạn đời" is a more encompassing term that can refer to either.
• Bạn tâm giao (noun): Confidant, close friend (sharing secrets). While close, it does not imply a marital relationship like "bạn đời".

Synonyms

• Phu thê (noun, literary): Husband and wife; a literary term for a married couple.
• Người bạn đường (noun): Companion on life's path; can be metaphorical but sometimes used similarly to "bạn đời".

Related Phrases (Collocations)

• Tìm bạn đời: To seek a life partner.
  • Anh ấy đang muốn tìm một người bạn đời. (He wants to find a life partner.)
• Tri kỷ, bạn đời: Soulmate and spouse; often used together to describe an ideal partner.
  • Cô ấy không chỉ là vợ mà còn là tri kỷ, bạn đời của tôi. (She is not only my wife but also my soulmate and life partner.)

Related Idioms

• Đồng cam cộng khổ: To share weal and woe. This idiom perfectly describes the commitment implied in "bạn đời".
  • Họ là bạn đời thực sự, đã đồng cam cộng khổ suốt cuộc đời. (They are true life partners, having shared weal and woe throughout their lives.)

noun

1. Companion (for life), wife or husband (sharing the same life for good and for bad)