Definition

1. Noun:

   • Girl / Young woman: Refers to a female human, typically one who is young or unmarried. It is a common, general term.
   • Woman (sometimes colloquial or derogatory): Can refer to a woman, occasionally with a dismissive or objectifying connotation depending on context (e.g., "mê gái" - to be fond of women/chasing women).
   • The bride's side: In the context of traditional Vietnamese weddings, "nhà gái" refers to the family and relatives of the bride.

2. Adjective (in compound words):

   • Female: Used attributively to indicate the female gender of certain nouns (e.g., "bạn gái" - girlfriend, female friend).

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Cô gái đó rất thông minh. (That girl is very intelligent.)
  • Anh ta chỉ thích đi chơi với gái. (He only likes to go out with girls/women.)
  • Nhà gái đã đồng ý. (The bride's side has agreed.)

• Adjective (in compounds):

  • Cô ấy là bạn gái của tôi. (She is my girlfriend.)

Advanced Usage

• "gái đẹp": pretty girl; a common phrase to describe an attractive young woman.

  • Phim có nhiều cảnh quay gái đẹp. (The movie has many scenes with pretty girls.)

• "gái già": spinster; an older, unmarried woman (can be derogatory).

  • Câu nói đó xúc phạm đến những người bị gọi là "gái già". (That statement is offensive to those called "spinsters.")

Variants and Related Words

• Con gái (n): daughter; girl (more polite and common than "gái" alone).

  • Họ có hai người con gái. (They have two daughters.)

• Bạn gái (n): girlfriend; female friend.

  • Tôi sẽ giới thiệu bạn gái tôi cho bạn. (I will introduce my girlfriend to you.)

• Gái mại dâm (n): prostitute.

  • Khu vực đó nổi tiếng về nạn gái mại dâm. (That area is notorious for prostitution.)

Synonyms

• Girl: con gái, thiếu nữ.
• Woman: phụ nữ, đàn bà (note: "đàn bà" can also be nuanced).
• Female: nữ, giống cái.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Gái có công thì chồng chẳng phụ: A virtuous and hardworking wife will not be abandoned by her husband. (Highlights traditional expectations of women.)
• Trai tài gái sắc: A talented man and a beautiful woman; a perfectly matched couple.
  • Họ là một cặp trai tài gái sắc. (They are a couple of a talented man and a beautiful woman.)

noun

1. girl
   • gái đẹp
     pretty girl