Definition

1. Noun:
   • Aunt (maternal): Refers specifically to one's mother's younger sister. In Vietnamese culture, this term denotes a close familial relationship and carries respect.
   • Aunt (paternal): Can also refer to a father's secondary wife or concubine (an older, polygamous term). This usage is now largely historical or archaic.
   • Form of address: Used as a polite pronoun to address or refer to a woman who is either one's mother's younger sister or, in the older context, one's father's secondary wife. It can function similarly to "you" (when speaking to her) or "she" (when speaking about her among siblings/cousins).

Usage Examples

• Noun (Maternal Aunt):
  • Dì của tôi là em gái của mẹ tôi. (My aunt is my mother's younger sister.)
  • Tôi sẽ đến thăm dì vào cuối tuần. (I will visit my aunt this weekend.)
• Noun (Form of Address):
  • Dì ơi, dì có khỏe không? (Auntie, how are you?)
  • Chúng tôi đã nói chuyện với dì rồi. (We have already spoken with auntie.)
• Noun (Historical/Paternal Context):
  • Trong gia đình xưa, dì có thể là vợ lẽ của cha. (In families of the past, 'dì' could refer to the father's concubine.)

Advanced Usage

• "Dì ghẻ": This is a compound term meaning "stepmother." It is distinct from the primary meanings of 'dì' and carries a specific, sometimes negative, connotation.
  • Mối quan hệ với dì ghẻ đôi khi phức tạp. (The relationship with a stepmother can sometimes be complicated.)
• Pronoun Use: In direct speech, 'dì' can be used by the aunt to refer to herself when speaking to her nieces/nephews, equivalent to "I" or "me."
  • Dì sẽ mua quà cho cháu. (I [your aunt] will buy a gift for you.)
• Referential Use: When cousins speak among themselves about their shared maternal aunt, they use 'dì' to mean "she" or "her."
  • Dì bảo chúng ta phải học bài. (She [our aunt] told us to study our lessons.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cô (noun): Father's sister; also a general polite term for a young woman.
• Thím (noun): Younger brother's wife; a specific familial term.
• Mợ (noun): Mother's brother's wife; a regional or older term for aunt.
• Dì ghẻ (compound noun): Stepmother.

Synonyms

• Người cô (noun): Aunt (more general, but often implies father's sister).
• Bà dì (noun): A more formal or respectful term for 'dì,' especially for an older aunt.

Related Phrases / Idioms

• Sẩy cha còn chú, sẩy mẹ bú dì: A traditional proverb meaning "If you lose your father, you still have your uncle; if you lose your mother, you can still nurse from your aunt." It highlights the role of extended family, specifically the maternal aunt, as a source of care and support.
  • Câu tục ngữ "Sẩy cha còn chú, sẩy mẹ bú dì" nói về sự đùm bọc của họ hàng. (The proverb highlights the support of relatives.)

noun

1. aunt