Definition

1. Noun (Archaic):
   • Prison, jail, penitentiary: A place of confinement for individuals who have been convicted of crimes or are awaiting trial. This term is historical and literary, not commonly used in modern everyday Vietnamese.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Nhà văn mô tả cảnh tù nhân bị giam trong lao lí. (The writer described the scene of prisoners being held in the prison.)
  • Từ "lao lí" thường xuất hiện trong các văn bản cổ. (The word "lao lí" often appears in ancient texts.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily encountered in historical, legal, or literary contexts to evoke a sense of the past. It is not used in contemporary legal or administrative language.

Variants and Related Words

• Nhà tù (n): The modern, standard term for prison or jail.

  • Hắn bị kết án và đưa vào nhà tù. (He was sentenced and sent to prison.)

• Ngục (n, literary): Dungeon, prison (also archaic/literary, but slightly more common in poetic usage).

  • Cảnh ngục tối được miêu tả đầy ám ảnh. (The scene of the dark dungeon was described as haunting.)

Synonyms

• Prison: A facility for the confinement of convicted criminals.
• Jail: A place for the detention of persons awaiting trial or convicted of minor offenses.
• Penitentiary: A prison for serious crimes.

Related Idioms

• Vào lao ra lí: An archaic idiom meaning to be entangled in legal troubles or imprisonment. It emphasizes the state of being caught in the judicial system.
  • Câu chuyện kể về một người lương thiện bỗng phải vào lao ra lí. (The story tells of an honest man who suddenly found himself entangled in prison.)