Definition

1. Noun:
   • Servant, domestic worker: "người ở" is a term from the past, used to refer to a person hired to perform domestic work for a family, such as cleaning, cooking, or other household chores. It implies a live-in arrangement.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Gia đình ông ấy ngày xưa có mấy người ở. (His family used to have several servants in the past.)
  • Bà cụ kể chuyện về cuộc đời của một người ở. (The old lady tells stories about the life of a domestic servant.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "người ở" is considered archaic or old-fashioned in modern Vietnamese. Using it today can evoke a historical or literary context.
  • Trong tiểu thuyết thế kỷ 19, nhân vật chính thường là một người ở. (In 19th-century novels, the main character is often a servant.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đầy tớ (n): A synonym for servant, but can carry a stronger connotation of servitude or be considered more demeaning than "người ở".
• Người giúp việc (n): The modern, neutral term for a domestic helper or housekeeper.
• Gia nhân (n): A more formal or literary term for servants in a household.

Synonyms

• Domestic worker: người lao động giúp việc gia đình.
• Housemaid / Housekeeper: người quản gia, người hầu (specifically female).

Notes on Meaning

• The term specifically refers to a live-in domestic worker. It does not refer to a guest ("người đến chơi") or a resident ("người cư trú") in a general sense.
• It reflects a historical social structure and is not commonly used in contemporary everyday language to refer to modern domestic workers.

1. (cũ) Servant