Definition

1. Verb:
   • To pray for the soul of the deceased: The act of performing a ritual or saying prayers, often in a religious context, to ask for peace, salvation, or a favorable rebirth for the soul of someone who has died.
   • To hold a requiem mass: Specifically refers to conducting or participating in a Catholic Mass offered for the repose of the soul(s) of the deceased.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Gia đình tổ chức lễ để cầu hồn cho người đã khuất. (The family held a ceremony to pray for the soul of the deceased.)
  • Một thánh lễ cầu hồn sẽ được cử hành vào chiều thứ Hai. (A requiem mass will be celebrated on Monday afternoon.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in religious, spiritual, or formal commemorative contexts. It implies a solemn appeal to divine or spiritual forces for the benefit of the departed soul.
• It is often associated with specific rituals, such as the 49-day ceremonies in some Buddhist traditions or the monthly/anniversary Masses in Catholicism.

Variants and Related Words

• Lễ cầu hồn (Noun Phrase): A requiem mass; a ceremony or service held to pray for the soul of the deceased.
  • Lễ cầu hồn được tổ chức trang trọng tại nhà thờ. (The requiem mass was held solemnly at the church.)
• Cầu siêu (Verb): A near-synonym more common in Buddhist context, meaning to pray for the liberation of a soul from the cycle of rebirth.

Synonyms

• Cầu nguyện cho linh hồn: To pray for the soul.
• Đọc kinh cầu hồn: To recite prayers for the soul.

Related Phrases

• Dâng lễ cầu hồn: To offer a mass for the soul.
  • Họ dâng lễ cầu hồn cho cụ ông vào ngày giỗ. (They offered a mass for the old gentleman's soul on his death anniversary.)
• Xin lễ cầu hồn: To request a mass to be said for the soul.
  • Con cái xin lễ cầu hồn cho cha mẹ. (The children requested a mass to be said for their parents' souls.)

1. To say a mass for someone's soul
   • lễ cầu hồn
     a mass for someone's soul, a requiem