màu cờ

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • The national flag's colors / The flag's honor: Refers to the national flag as a symbol of a country's honor, dignity, and pride. It represents the nation itself in contexts like international competition or diplomacy.
Usage Examples
  • Noun:
    • Các vận động viên thi đấu để bảo vệ màu cờ. (The athletes compete to defend the honor of the flag.)
    • Anh ấy đã hy sinh vì màu cờ. (He sacrificed himself for the flag / for his country.)
Advanced Usage
  • The term is almost exclusively used in a solemn, patriotic context to mean the nation as represented by its flag. It is a metonym, where the colors of the flag stand for the country's sovereignty and prestige.
Variants and Related Words
  • Quốc kỳ (n): national flag. This is the literal term for the physical flag.
  • Lá cờ (n): the flag (more general, can be any flag).
  • Màu sắc (n): colors (the general term, not specific to flags).
Synonyms
  • National colors: The colors representing a nation.
  • The flag: When used symbolically to mean the nation.
  • National honor / pride: In the abstract sense conveyed by "màu cờ."
Related Idioms
  • Bảo vệ màu cờ: to defend the honor of the flag (i.e., to compete or fight for one's country).
  • Vì màu cờ: for the sake of the flag (i.e., for one's country).