cô ai tử
Definition
- Noun:
- A person who has lost both parents; a complete orphan: The term "cô ai tử" is an archaic, literary Vietnamese word used to describe someone whose father and mother have both passed away. It carries a classical, formal tone and is rarely used in modern everyday conversation.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Trong câu chuyện cổ, nhân vật chính là một cô ai tử. (In the ancient tale, the main character is a complete orphan.)
- Số phận của những cô ai tử thời chiến tranh thật đáng thương. (The fate of complete orphans during wartime is truly pitiful.)
Advanced Usage
- This term is primarily found in classical literature, historical texts, or formal, poetic language. In contemporary Vietnamese, the more common and direct phrases are "trẻ mồ côi cha mẹ" or simply "mồ côi."
Variants and Related Words
- Mồ côi (adj/noun): Orphan. This is the standard, modern term.
- đứa trẻ mồ côi (an orphaned child)
- Cô nhi (noun): Orphan (also somewhat formal/literary, but more common than "cô ai tử").
- viện cô nhi (an orphanage)
Synonyms
- Kẻ mồ côi cha mẹ: One who is orphaned of father and mother (descriptive phrase).
- Người không cha không mẹ: A person without father or mother (descriptive phrase).
Related Idioms
- Cô thế vô thân: Alone in the world, without relatives. This idiom describes a state of being utterly alone and helpless, which is closely related to the concept of being a "cô ai tử."
- Sau biến cố, anh ấy cảm thấy mình cô thế vô thân. (After the incident, he felt utterly alone in the world.)