Definition

1. Noun:
   • A feast, a banquet: "cỗ bàn" refers to a formal, elaborate, and often large meal prepared for a special occasion, celebration, or festival. It implies a spread of many dishes.
   • The preparation and arrangement of such a meal: It can also denote the act of preparing and setting out the food for such a festive occasion.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Nhà tôi đã chuẩn bị cỗ bàn thịnh soạn để đãi khách ngày Tết. (My family prepared a sumptuous feast to treat guests on Tet holiday.)
  • Việc lo cỗ bàn cho đám cưới rất vất vả. (Preparing the banquet for the wedding is very hard work.)

Advanced Usage

• "làm cỗ bàn": to prepare a feast/banquet.

  • Cả làng cùng nhau làm cỗ bàn để cúng thần. (The whole village worked together to prepare a feast to worship the deity.)

• "cỗ bàn linh đình": a lavish, extravagant feast.

  • Đám giỗ ông nội năm nay có cỗ bàn linh đình. (This year's death anniversary for my grandfather had a lavish feast.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cỗ (n): feast, ceremonial meal. Often used interchangeably with "cỗ bàn" but can be slightly less formal.

  • cỗ chay (vegetarian feast), cỗ cưới (wedding feast).

• Bàn tiệc (n): banquet table; the event of a banquet.

  • bàn tiệc cưới (wedding banquet).

Synonyms

• Yến tiệc (n): banquet, feast (often more literary or formal).
• Tiệc (n): party, feast (can be broader, from casual to formal).
• Bữa ăn thịnh soạn (n): a sumptuous meal.

Related Phrases

• "Cỗ bàn đình đám": a famous or widely talked-about feast.
  • Đám cưới con nhà giàu, cỗ bàn đình đám lắm. (The wedding of the rich family's child had a famously grand feast.)

Related Idioms

• "Ăn cỗ đi trước, lội nước theo sau": A proverb meaning "Go first to a feast, but follow others when crossing water." It advises to be eager for good things but cautious in difficult situations.
  • Anh ta luôn nhớ câu "ăn cỗ đi trước, lội nước theo sau". (He always remembers the proverb about going first to a feast.)