Definition

Noun: - The deceased; the dead: A literary and respectful term used to refer to a person who has passed away. It literally means "a person of a thousand ages," poetically suggesting someone who has departed into the distant past.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Chúng tôi thành kính tưởng nhớ đến những người thiên cổ. (We respectfully remember the deceased.)
  • Bàn thờ là nơi tưởng niệm người thiên cổ trong gia đình. (The altar is a place to commemorate the departed in the family.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is primarily used in formal, literary, or ceremonial contexts such as eulogies, obituaries, memorial speeches, and traditional rituals. It carries a tone of reverence and solemnity.
• It is often used with verbs like tưởng nhớ (to remember), thương tiếc (to mourn), or cầu nguyện (to pray for).

Variants and Related Words

• Người đã khuất: (n) Another respectful term for the deceased. (E.g., - to pray for the repose of the deceased's soul.)
• Người quá cố: (n) A formal term for the late/departed person. (E.g., - the funeral of the departed.)
• Vong linh: (n) The spirit/soul of the deceased. (E.g., - to make offerings to the spirit of the dead.)

Synonyms

• Người chết: (n) The dead. (This is a direct and neutral term, lacking the literary reverence of .)
• Tử thi: (n) Corpse; dead body. (A clinical term focusing on the physical remains.)

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Đi vào cõi thiên cổ: (idiom) To pass into the eternal realm; to die. (E.g., - The elderly gentleman peacefully passed into the eternal realm.)
• Thiên cổ kỳ oan: (idiom) An injustice that spans ages; a grievous, long-standing wrong. (This uses in a different, figurative sense.)

1. (văn chương) the dead