Definition

Adjective: - Long-standing; age-old; ancient: Describes something that has existed for a very long time, often spanning many generations or centuries. It emphasizes great age, tradition, and continuity.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Việt Nam có nhiều *truyền thống lâu đời. (Vietnam has many long-standing traditions.)
  • Đây là một *công ty gia đình lâu đời. (This is a long-standing family company.)
  • Thành phố này có *lịch sử lâu đời. (This city has an ancient history.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe abstract concepts like customs, institutions, relationships, or conflicts that have persisted over a vast period.
  • Mối thù lâu đời giữa hai gia tộc cuối cùng đã được hóa giải.* (The age-old feud between the two families was finally resolved.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lâu năm (adj): Long-term, of many years. Often used for relationships, experience, or things measured in years rather than centuries.

  • Một giáo viên *lâu năm. (A long-term teacher.)

• Cổ kính (adj): Ancient, antiquated, venerable. Often describes physical objects, architecture, or places with a sense of historic grandeur.

  • Một ngôi đền *cổ kính. (An ancient temple.)

Synonyms

• Ancient: Belonging to the very distant past.
• Time-honored: Respected because it has existed for a long time.
• Established: Having existed for a long time and therefore recognized.

Related Idioms

• Lâu đời nhất định: A set phrase emphasizing that something is undoubtedly ancient or long-established.
  • Phong tục đó *lâu đời nhất định, không ai biết nó bắt đầu từ khi nào. (That custom is undoubtedly ancient; no one knows when it began.)

adj

1. long-standing