cựu giao
Definition
- Noun:
- Old friend; old acquaintance: A person with whom one has had a long-standing friendship or association. The term carries a literary or formal tone and emphasizes the longevity and depth of the relationship.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ông ấy là một cựu giao của gia đình tôi. (He is an old friend of my family.)
- Họ gặp lại nhau như những cựu giao sau ba mươi năm xa cách. (They met again like old acquaintances after thirty years apart.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "cựu giao" is considered somewhat literary and is used less frequently in everyday modern conversation. It often appears in written narratives, formal speeches, or historical contexts to denote a relationship of significant duration.
Variants and Related Words
- Bạn cũ (n): old friend. This is a more common and colloquial synonym.
- Tôi tình cờ gặp một bạn cũ. (I accidentally met an old friend.)
Synonyms
- Old friend: A friend known for a long time.
- Longtime acquaintance: A person one has known for a long period.
Notes on Usage
- "Cựu giao" specifically refers to the person (the friend or acquaintance), not the relationship itself. The relationship would be described as "tình bạn lâu năm" (longtime friendship).
- It is important to distinguish this term from "cựu chiến binh" (veteran), which shares the prefix "cựu" (former, old) but has a completely different meaning.