Definition

1. Noun (Collective):
   • Our people / Our fellow countrymen: Refers to people who share the same nationality, homeland, or cultural background as the speaker. It implies a sense of solidarity, shared identity, and common circumstance.
   • People like us / Our own kind: Can extend to people who share a similar situation, background, or in-group membership, fostering a feeling of closeness and mutual understanding.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Phải giúp đỡ người mình trong lúc khó khăn. (We must help our people in times of difficulty.)
  • Anh ấy là người mình, cùng làng với tôi. (He is one of our own, from the same village as me.)
  • Khi ra nước ngoài, tôi thấy rất vui khi gặp người mình. (When abroad, I feel very happy to meet fellow countrymen.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is inherently inclusive from the speaker's perspective but exclusive from an outsider's view. It draws a boundary between "us" (người mình) and "them" (người ngoài).
• It is often used to evoke patriotism, national pride, or communal responsibility.

Variants and Related Words

• Đồng bào (n): compatriots; a more formal and emotionally charged term for fellow countrymen, often used in patriotic contexts.
  • Đồng bào cả nước cùng hướng về miền Trung. (Compatriots across the country turn their hearts towards the Central region.)

Synonyms

• Compatriots: People who belong to the same nation.
• Fellow countrymen: People from one's own country.
• Our own: A general term for people within one's own group.

Related Idioms and Expressions

• Máu chảy ruột mềm: (Literal: When blood flows, the gut softens). An idiom meaning one feels deep pain and compassion for one's own people (người mình) when they are hurt or in trouble.
  • Thấy thiên tai, máu chảy ruột mềm, ai cũng muốn giúp đỡ người mình. (Seeing the natural disaster, with deep compassion, everyone wants to help our people.)