Definition

1. Noun:
   • Your precious person; your esteemed self: An archaic, highly respectful term used to refer to another person's body or self, implying they are as precious as jade. It is a form of honorific address, often used when inquiring about someone's health or well-being with great deference.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Chẳng hay ngọc thể có an khang không? (I wonder if your esteemed self is in good health?)
  • Xin ngài giữ gìn ngọc thể. (Please take good care of your precious self, sir.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is almost exclusively found in classical or historical contexts, such as in old literature, period dramas, or formal letters from the past. Its use in modern conversation would sound very archaic and excessively formal.
• It is typically used when addressing someone of high status, such as a monarch, a superior, or a revered elder.

Variants and Related Words

• Quý thể: Another honorific term meaning "your esteemed person/body." It is slightly less archaic than "ngọc thể" but still very formal.
• Thân thể: The modern, neutral word for "body." It lacks the honorific and archaic nuance of "ngọc thể."

Synonyms

• Quý thân: Your esteemed person/self (archaic/honorific).
• Tôn thể: Your revered body/self (archaic/honorific).

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Ngọc thể kim chi: An idiom meaning "a body of jade, limbs of gold," used to describe someone with a very precious, delicate, and beautiful physique. It is an even more elaborate and poetic form of praise.
  • Cô ấy được cha mẹ nuôi dưỡng như ngọc thể kim chi. (She was raised by her parents as if she were made of jade and gold.)

1. (từ cũ) your precious person