Definition

1. Noun:
   • Prison, jail: A place where people are held as punishment for crimes or while awaiting trial. This is an archaic or literary term in modern Vietnamese.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Nhà vua đã ra lệnh giam kẻ phản nghịch vào ngục thất. (The king ordered the rebel to be imprisoned in the dungeon.)
  • Trong truyện cổ tích, hoàng tử thường bị giam trong ngục thất tối tăm. (In fairy tales, the prince is often locked in a dark dungeon.)

Advanced Usage

• The term ngục thất carries a classical, often grim connotation. It is more likely to be found in historical contexts, literature, or formal writing than in everyday conversation.
  • Cánh cửa ngục thất sập lại, chấm dứt mọi hy vọng tự do. (The dungeon door slammed shut, ending all hope of freedom.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ngục (n): The more common and modern word for "prison" or "jail."
• Nhà tù (n): The standard, neutral term for "prison."
• Ngục tù (n): A literary synonym meaning "imprisonment" or "incarceration."
• La ngục (n): An archaic term for prison.

Synonyms

• Nhà tù: Prison, penitentiary.
• Ngục: Jail, prison.
• Trại giam: Detention camp, jail.

Notes on Meaning

• The reference context mentions "jailer" or "jailor." This is a separate meaning. Ngục thất itself means the physical prison. The person who guards it is a cai ngục or quản ngục (jailer).
• As noted in the Vietnamese-Vietnamese reference, ngục thất is synonymous with ngục (prison).

1. Prison, jailer, jailor