gia đinh
Definition
- Noun:
- Servant, domestic worker: "Gia đinh" refers to a person who works as a servant or domestic helper in a household, typically in a historical or old-fashioned context.
- Household retainer: It can also denote a person attached to a household for service, often implying a long-term or loyal servant.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Trong các gia đình quyền quý ngày xưa thường có nhiều gia đinh. (In noble families of the past, there were often many servants.)
- Ông ấy từng là một gia đinh trung thành của dòng họ này. (He was once a loyal household retainer for this clan.)
Advanced Usage
- "Gia đinh cũ": old servant, long-serving retainer.
- Người gia đinh cũ ấy vẫn luôn nhớ ơn chủ. (That old servant still remembers the master's kindness.)
Variants and Related Words
- Đầy tớ (n): servant, a more common and general synonym.
- Người giúp việc (n): helper, domestic worker (modern term).
- Người hầu (n): attendant, servant.
Synonyms
- Nô bộc (n): servant, menial (often with a slightly stronger historical or feudal connotation).
- Tôi tớ (n): servant, subordinate.
Notes on Usage
- Archaic Term: The word "gia đinh" is considered archaic and is rarely used in modern, everyday Vietnamese. It is primarily found in historical texts, literature, or when discussing past social structures.
- Context: Its use evokes a pre-modern context, such as feudal or colonial-era households. The modern equivalent for a domestic worker is "người giúp việc (nhà)".