Definition

Noun: 1. (Euphemism, Literary) Brothel; house of ill repute: A place where prostitution occurs. This meaning is derived from the classical Chinese term "花柳" (huā liǔ), literally "flowers and willows," which was used metaphorically for places of pleasure and prostitution. 2. (In the compound "bệnh hoa liễu") Venereal disease; sexually transmitted infection (STI): A disease contracted primarily through sexual contact. This is the most common modern usage in Vietnamese.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Brothel):

  • Câu chuyện kể về một thiếu niên lạc bước vào chốn hoa liễu. (The story is about a youth who strayed into a brothel.)
  • Trong văn chương cổ, "hoa liễu" thường ám chỉ những nơi phong lưu. (In classical literature, "hoa liễu" often alludes to places of pleasure.)

• Noun (In "bệnh hoa liễu"):

  • Phòng khám chuyên điều trị các bệnh hoa liễu. (The clinic specializes in treating venereal diseases.)
  • Giáo dục về sức khỏe tình dục giúp phòng ngừa bệnh hoa liễu. (Sexual health education helps prevent sexually transmitted infections.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "hoa liễu" by itself is rarely used in contemporary everyday speech to mean "brothel." It is primarily found in literary, historical, or formal contexts. The standalone modern word for "brothel" is "nhà chứa" or "ổ mại dâm".
• The phrase "chốn hoa liễu" (the realm of flowers and willows) is a fixed literary expression meaning the world of prostitution or pleasure quarters.

Variants and Related Words

• Bệnh hoa liễu (noun phrase): Venereal disease, sexually transmitted disease (STD), sexually transmitted infection (STI). This is the standard medical/social term.
• Bệnh lây truyền qua đường tình dục (noun phrase): The formal, descriptive term for sexually transmitted infection.
• Bệnh xã hội (noun phrase): "Social disease," a broader category that includes venereal diseases.

Synonyms

• For "bệnh hoa liễu": STD (abbreviation), STI (abbreviation), venereal disease.
• For the "brothel" meaning (literary): House of ill repute, bawdy house, bordello (literary).

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Lăn lóc nơi hoa liễu: To wallow or be entangled in the world of brothels/prostitution. Describes a dissolute lifestyle.
  • Anh ta phung phí tuổi trẻ của mình, lăn lóc nơi hoa liễu. (He wasted his youth, wallowing in the world of brothels.)

noun

1. (hình ảnh) brothel
   • bệnh hoa liễu
     venereal disease