gà sống

Definition

Noun: * A live chicken: A chicken that is alive, not slaughtered or cooked. This is the literal meaning. * A rooster: Specifically, a male chicken. This is a common, though less formal, synonym for "gà trống". * A widower raising children: A figurative and idiomatic meaning describing a man who has lost his wife and must raise his children alone. The image compares him to a rooster ("gà sống") caring for chicks.

Usage Examples

• Literal meaning (live chicken):
  • Chợ này có bán gà sống. (This market sells live chickens.)
  • Tôi mua một con gà sống về nuôi. (I bought a live chicken to raise.)
• Meaning "rooster":
  • Con gà sống nhà hàng xóm gáy rất to. (The neighbor's rooster crows very loudly.)
• Figurative meaning (widower):
  • Anh ấy làm gà sống nuôi con sau khi vợ mất. (He became a widower raising his children after his wife passed away.)
  • Cảnh gà sống nuôi con thật đáng thương. (The scene of a father left alone to raise his children is truly pitiful.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase "gà sống nuôi con" is a fixed idiom. It is almost always used in this full form to convey the figurative meaning of a widower with children. Using just "gà sống" in this context might be understood from context but is less complete.

Variants and Related Words

• Gà trống (noun): The standard, neutral word for "rooster" or "male chicken".
• Gà mái (noun): Hen (female chicken).
• Gà con (noun): Chick.
• Gà tơ (noun): Young chicken, often referring to a chicken suitable for cooking.

Synonyms

• For "rooster": gà trống, gà cồ (more literary/formal).
• For "live chicken": gà còn sống (more descriptive phrase).
• For the figurative meaning: người đàn ông góa vợ nuôi con (a descriptive phrase).

Related Idioms

• Gà sống nuôi con: As explained, this is the primary idiom, meaning a widower who raises his children alone.