Definition

1. Verb:
   • To worship: To show reverence and adoration, typically through prescribed rituals, prayers, or offerings, directed towards a deity, sacred object, or revered figure such as a Buddha, saint, or ancestor.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Hàng ngày, các Phật tử thành kính lễ bái trước tượng Phật. (Every day, Buddhists devoutly worship before the Buddha statue.)
  • Người dân đến đền thờ để lễ bái thần thành hoàng làng. (People come to the temple to worship the village's guardian spirit.)
  • Lễ bái tổ tiên là một phong tục quan trọng. (Worshipping ancestors is an important tradition.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "lễ bái" inherently combines the concepts of ritual () and the act of bowing/prostrating (). It emphasizes the formal, physical, and ceremonial aspects of worship, often involving gestures like bowing, kneeling, or placing hands together in prayer.
• It is commonly used in religious contexts (Buddhism, folk religion) and in contexts of ancestral veneration.

Variants and Related Words

• Thờ cúng (v): To worship, to venerate. This is a broader, more general term for worship and ritual care, often used interchangeably with , but can imply a more continuous practice.
• Cúng bái (v): To make offerings and worship. This term strongly emphasizes the aspect of presenting offerings (food, incense, etc.) as part of the worship.
• Bái lạy (v): To prostrate oneself, to bow down in worship. This focuses specifically on the physical act of bowing or kowtowing.

Synonyms

• Worship: To honor a divine being with religious rites.
• Venerate: To regard with great respect or reverence.
• Revere: To feel deep respect or admiration.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Nơi lễ bái: A place of worship (e.g., temple, pagoda, shrine).
  • Ngôi chùa cổ là nơi lễ bái linh thiêng. (The ancient pagoda is a sacred place of worship.)
• Nghi thức lễ bái: Worship ritual, liturgy.
  • Nghi thức lễ bái ở mỗi tôn giáo có sự khác biệt. (Worship rituals differ among religions.)

verb

1. to worship