Definition

Noun: 1. People of ancient times; the ancients: Refers to people who lived in the very distant past, often in a historical or philosophical context, implying wisdom, tradition, or a bygone era. 2. (Rare, archaic) A naive, simple, or artless person: An old-fashioned or rarely used meaning describing someone who is unsophisticated, guileless, or follows old customs.

Usage Examples

• Noun (People of ancient times):

  • Cổ nhân thường nói: "Đi một ngày đàng, học một sàng khôn". (The ancients often said: "Travel broadens the mind.")
  • Chúng ta nên học hỏi kinh nghiệm sống từ cổ nhân. (We should learn life experiences from the people of old.)
  • Kiến trúc này được xây dựng theo phong cách của cổ nhân. (This architecture was built in the style of the ancients.)

• Noun (Rare: naive person):

  • Bà ấy sống rất cổ nhân, chẳng quan tâm đến chuyện thị phi. (She lives very simply/artlessly, not caring about gossip.)

Advanced Usage

• "Lời cổ nhân" / "Câu nói của cổ nhân": Refers to proverbs, sayings, or teachings passed down from ancient sages or generations.

  • Anh ấy luôn nhớ đến lời cổ nhân dạy. (He always remembers the teachings of the ancients.)

• Used in classical or literary Vietnamese to evoke a sense of tradition, historical depth, or timeless wisdom.

Variants and Related Words

• Cổ đại (noun): Ancient times; antiquity. (e.g., - the ancient era)
• Cổ xưa (adjective): Ancient, old, archaic. (e.g., - ancient tradition)
• Người xưa (noun): People of the past; a more common and slightly less formal synonym for "cổ nhân" in the first meaning.
• Cổ phong (noun): Ancient style/customs. (e.g., - in the ancient manner)

Synonyms

• Người đời xưa: People of bygone days.
• Tổ tiên: Ancestors, forefathers (implies a direct lineage, while "cổ nhân" is more general).
• Người xưa: People of the past.

Notes on Meaning

1. The primary and most common meaning is "the ancients" or "people of old," carrying a respectful or learned tone, often used when citing historical wisdom or philosophy.
2. The secondary meaning describing a "simple/naive person" is very rare in modern usage and might be encountered in older literary texts or specific regional dialects. In most contemporary contexts, "cổ nhân" exclusively refers to people from the distant past.

noun

1. men of old; The people of the very distant past