Definition

1. Noun (Archaic):
   • The common people; the populace; the masses: Refers to the ordinary people in a society, often in contrast to the ruling class, nobility, or elite. It carries a classical or literary tone.
   • The lower classes; the plebeians: Specifically denotes people of low social status or the general populace without privilege.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Quan lại thời xưa thường xa cách với lê dân. (Officials in ancient times were often distant from the common people.)
  • Chính sách đó ảnh hưởng trực tiếp đến đời sống của lê dân. (That policy directly affected the lives of the populace.)
  • Trong văn học cổ, lê dân thường là nạn nhân của chiến tranh. (In classical literature, the common people were often the victims of war.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in historical, literary, or formal contexts to evoke a classical atmosphere. It is rarely used in modern everyday conversation.
• It often appears in discussions of feudal society, historical analysis, or classical Vietnamese poetry and prose.

Variants and Related Words

• Bách tính (n): another classical term for "the common people" or "the hundred families."
• Dân chúng (n): the masses, the public (more modern and neutral).
• Thường dân (n): commoners, civilians (contrasted with military or nobility).

Synonyms

• The common people
• The populace
• The masses
• The plebeians (in a historical Roman context)
• The lower orders (archaic)

Related Idioms

• Lê dân bá tánh: An extended, somewhat poetic phrase emphasizing the entirety of the common populace.
  • Nhà vua phải nghĩ đến lê dân bá tánh. (The king must think of all the common people.)