Definition

1. Noun:
   • The ancients, people of old: Refers to people who lived in the distant past, in ancient or former times. It often carries a sense of respect and nostalgia for their wisdom, customs, or way of life.
   • A former person, an ex-lover: In a specific, often poetic or literary context, it can refer to a person from one's past, particularly a former romantic partner.

Usage Examples

• Noun (The ancients):

  • Người xưa có câu: "Ăn quả nhớ kẻ trồng cây". (The ancients have a saying: "When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree.")
  • Chúng ta nên học hỏi kinh nghiệm từ người xưa. (We should learn from the experience of the ancients.)

• Noun (A former person):

  • Anh ta vẫn còn nhớ đến người xưa. (He still remembers his former love.)
  • Những kỷ vật gợi nhớ về người xưa. (The mementos evoke memories of the person from the past.)

Advanced Usage

• "bụng nghĩ đến người xưa": to think fondly of someone from the past (often an old friend or lover).

  • Nhìn cảnh cũ, lòng lại bụng nghĩ đến người xưa. (Seeing the old scene, my heart thinks fondly of the one from the past.)

• "theo lệ người xưa": according to the customs of the ancients.

  • Lễ cưới được tổ chức theo lệ người xưa. (The wedding was organized according to the customs of the ancients.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cổ nhân (n): A more formal or literary synonym for "người xưa" meaning "the ancients" or "people of antiquity," often used in historical or philosophical contexts.

  • Cổ nhân dạy nhiều điều hay lẽ phải. (The ancients taught many good and righteous principles.)

• Người cũ (n): Literally "old person," but typically refers to a former colleague, friend, or acquaintance from a previous place (like an old job or neighborhood), not necessarily from the distant past. It can sometimes overlap with the romantic sense of "người xưa."

  • Gặp lại người cũ ở hội trường. (Meeting an old acquaintance at the reunion.)

Synonyms

• Tổ tiên: ancestors, forefathers (specifically refers to familial lineage).
• Tiền nhân: predecessors, forebears (often used in a broader historical or societal context).

Related Phrases

• Chuyện người xưa: stories/tales of the ancients; or, stories about a past lover.

  • Bà kể cho cháu nghe những chuyện người xưa. (The grandmother tells her grandchildren stories of the ancients.)

• Người xưa cảnh cũ: a set phrase meaning "the old person and the old scene," evoking deep nostalgia.

  • Trở về quê hương, thấy người xưa cảnh cũ mà lòng bồi hồi. (Returning to my homeland, seeing the old faces and the old scenes fills my heart with emotion.)

Related Idioms

• "Người xưa đã khuất, bóng ngả cây sân đình": An idiom expressing that people of the past are gone, leaving only memories (like a shadow falling in the communal house yard). It conveys transience and nostalgia.
  • Cuộc đời thay đổi, đúng là người xưa đã khuất, bóng ngả cây sân đình. (Life changes; indeed, the people of old are gone, like a shadow in the yard.)

1. The ancients