gái
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
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.
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.)