Definition

1. Noun:
   • Herdsman, shepherd: A person who tends, herds, and cares for grazing livestock, such as sheep, goats, or cattle. This term is often used in a literary, historical, or religious context.
   • Pastor, spiritual guide: In a figurative and religious sense, it refers to a spiritual leader who guides and cares for a congregation, analogous to a shepherd caring for a flock.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Người mục tử dẫn đàn cừu qua thung lũng. (The herdsman led the flock of sheep through the valley.)
  • Vị linh mục được coi là mục tử của giáo xứ. (The priest is considered the pastor of the parish.)

Advanced Usage

• "mục tử nhân lành": The Good Shepherd. This is a direct biblical reference (from the Gospel of John) to Jesus Christ, symbolizing a caring and self-sacrificing leader.
  • Chúa Giêsu thường được gọi là mục tử nhân lành. (Jesus is often called the Good Shepherd.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chăn nuôi (verb): To raise livestock, to herd.
  • Gia đình anh ấy chăn nuôi bò. (His family raises cattle.)
• Người chăn cừu (noun): Shepherd (more common, modern term for the occupation).
  • Người chăn cừu đang tìm con cừu lạc. (The shepherd is looking for the lost sheep.)

Synonyms

• Người chăn gia súc: Livestock herder.
• Người chăn chiên: Sheepherder, shepherd.

Related Idioms

• "Như mục tử với đàn chiên": Like a shepherd with his flock. Used to describe a close, caring, and guiding relationship between a leader and their followers.
  • Vị thầy lo lắng cho học trò như mục tử với đàn chiên. (The teacher cares for his students like a shepherd for his flock.)

1. (từ cũ) Herdsman