cô tử
Definition
- Noun (Archaic):
- A fatherless child: The term specifically denotes a person, especially a minor, whose father has died. It is an archaic, literary term rarely used in modern everyday Vietnamese.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Nhà văn miêu tả nhân vật chính là một cô tử từ nhỏ. (The writer describes the main character as having been fatherless since childhood.)
- Trong xã hội xưa, cô tử thường gặp nhiều thiệt thòi. (In ancient society, fatherless children often faced many disadvantages.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "cô tử" is primarily found in classical literature, historical texts, or formal, poetic contexts. In contemporary language, phrases like (orphaned of father) or (person who lost their father young) are used instead.
Variants and Related Words
Mồ côi (adj/n): orphaned; an orphan. This is the modern, general term for a child who has lost one or both parents.
- Đứa trẻ mồ côi được làng chăm sóc. (The orphaned child was cared for by the village.)
Cô nhi (n, literary): orphan. Similar in register to "cô tử" but refers to orphans in general, not specifically fatherless ones.
- Viện cô nhi đã nuôi dưỡng nhiều trẻ em. (The orphanage has raised many children.)
Synonyms
- Fatherless child: a child whose father has died.
- Orphan (paternal): specifically, a child bereaved of a father.
Notes on Usage
- "Cô tử" is an obsolete term. Learners should understand its meaning when reading old texts but should use the modern phrase "mồ côi cha" for active communication. The word carries a formal and somewhat solemn tone.