cửa ô

Người dân đi qua cửa ô để vào thành phố.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A city gate, a town gate: "cửa ô" refers to a gate or entrance leading into a city or town, often part of a historical fortification system. It marks the boundary between the urban area and the surrounding countryside.
   • A specific historical gate in Hanoi: In the context of Hanoi, Vietnam, "cửa ô" specifically refers to one of the several ancient gates that once surrounded the old city (the "Thăng Long" citadel).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cổng này từng là một cửa ô quan trọng của thành phố. (This archway was once an important city gate.)
  • Hà Nội xưa có nhiều cửa ô, nay chỉ còn lại vài cái. (Old Hanoi had many city gates; only a few remain today.)
  • Chúng tôi hẹn nhau ở cửa ô Quan Chưởng. (We arranged to meet at the Quan Chưởng city gate.)

Advanced Usage

• "cửa ô" in historical and cultural context: The term evokes nostalgia and is often used in literature, music, and history to refer to the old entrances to Hanoi, symbolizing a connection to the past.
  • Bài hát "Người Hà Nội" nhắc đến những cửa ô. (The song "Người Hà Nội" mentions the city gates.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cổng thành (n): Citadel gate, fortress gate. A more general term for a gate of a fortified citadel.
• Ô (n): In this compound, "ô" is a Sino-Vietnamese word meaning a precinct or district within a city wall. It is rarely used independently in modern Vietnamese outside of this historical term "cửa ô".

Synonyms

• Cổng vào thành phố: City entrance gate.
• Cổng thành: Citadel gate (emphasizing the defensive structure).

Related Phrases

• Ra cửa ô: To go out through the city gate (to leave the city).
  • Ngày xưa, người ta tiễn nhau ra tận cửa ô. (In the old days, people would see each other off all the way to the city gate.)
• Vào cửa ô: To enter through the city gate (to come into the city).
  • Đoàn người náo nức vào cửa ô sau chuyến hành trình dài. (The crowd excitedly entered the city gate after the long journey.)