Definition

1. Noun:
   • A human-shaped effigy made of paper and bamboo: A "hình nhân" is a doll or puppet crafted from materials like paper and bamboo, traditionally used in certain Vietnamese rituals.
   • An effigy for ceremonial burning: It specifically refers to an effigy that is burned as an offering during worship ceremonies, often to send symbolic items or servants to the spiritual realm for ancestors or deities.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Gia đình tôi đốt một hình nhân trong lễ cúng. (My family burned an effigy during the worship ceremony.)
  • Những hình nhân này thường được làm rất tinh xảo. (These effigies are often crafted very meticulously.)

Advanced Usage

• "hình nhân thế mạng": A substitute effigy; an effigy used to symbolically take on misfortune or bad luck in place of a person.
  • Trong nghi lễ, người ta dùng hình nhân thế mạng để xua đuổi vận xấu. (In the ritual, they use a substitute effigy to ward off bad luck.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bùa hình nhân (n): An effigy used in magic or sorcery, often with malevolent intent (similar to a "voodoo doll").
  • Câu chuyện dân gian thường nhắc đến bùa hình nhân. (Folktales often mention effigy magic.)

Synonyms

• Effigy (n): A sculpture or model of a person, often used for symbolic destruction.
• Figurine (n): A small carved or molded figure. (Note: This is a more general term and does not carry the specific ritualistic meaning of "hình nhân").

Related Phrases

• Đốt hình nhân: To burn an effigy.
  • Lễ tết có tục đốt hình nhân. (There is a custom of burning effigies during the festival.)

Related Idioms

• (None commonly associated directly with the core meaning of "hình nhân")

1. Paper and bamboo pupet (to be burned on worship)