công thần
Definition
- Noun:
- Meritorious official: A person, especially a high-ranking mandarin or general, who has rendered outstanding and recognized service to the nation, typically to a ruler or dynasty, often during its founding or in times of crisis.
- Person claiming merit: (Often used with a negative connotation) A person who presumes too much upon their past contributions and feels entitled to special rewards, privileges, or leniency from the state or sovereign.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ông ấy được coi là một công thần của triều đại. (He is considered a meritorious official of the dynasty.)
- Không nên có tư tưởng công thần. (One should not have the mentality of a person claiming merit.)
- Các công thần được khắc tên trên bia đá. (The meritorious officials had their names engraved on the stone stele.)
Advanced Usage
- The term often appears in historical and political contexts, referring to figures from feudal times. In modern usage, it can be applied critically to describe veterans or former revolutionaries who use their past service to demand special treatment.
- "Bệnh công thần": Literally "the disease of the meritorious official"; a derogatory phrase describing the fault of someone who, presuming too much on their past service to the country, demands excessive rewards or acts above the law.
- Ông ta mắc bệnh công thần nên luôn đòi hỏi đặc quyền. (He suffers from "the disease of the meritorious official," so he always demands privileges.)
Variants and Related Words
- Khai quốc công thần (n): Founding meritorious official; one who contributed to the establishment of a dynasty or nation.
- Lý Thường Kiệt là một khai quốc công thần của nhà Lý. (Ly Thuong Kiet was a founding meritorious official of the Ly dynasty.)
Synonyms
- Meritorious servant: A servant (to the state/king) with great merit.
- Benefactor (to the state): One who gives help or benefit to the nation.
- Hero (in a service context): A person admired for their service achievements.
Related Concepts
- Công trạng (n): Merit, achievements, and contributions.
- Tự mãn (adj): Complacent, self-satisfied; a state often associated with the negative aspect of a "công thần."