Definition

1. Noun (dated/archaic):
   • Native village, native place: One's ancestral homeland or rural birthplace.
   • The countryside: Rural areas, as opposed to the city.
   • Country people; peasant (often derogatory): A term, now considered archaic and potentially pejorative, used to refer to people from rural areas, implying a lack of sophistication.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông bà tôi vẫn sống ở nhà quê. (My grandparents still live in the countryside.)
  • Chúng tôi về nhà quê ăn Tết. (We returned to our native village to celebrate Tet.)
  • Trong một số văn bản cũ, "nhà quê" được dùng với hàm ý miệt thị. (In some old texts, "nhà quê" was used with a derogatory implication.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "nhà quê" is largely outdated in modern, polite Vietnamese. Its historical usage often carried a classist or derogatory tone when referring to people from rural areas, contrasting them with urban dwellers.
• In contemporary usage, the neutral and standard terms "nông thôn" (countryside) or "quê" (hometown/ countryside) are preferred.

Variants and Related Words

• Quê (n): Hometown, native place. A common, neutral shorthand.
  • Quê tôi ở Nghệ An. (My hometown is in Nghe An.)
• Nông thôn (n): Countryside, rural area. The standard, neutral term.
  • Kinh tế nông thôn đang phát triển. (The rural economy is developing.)
• Đồng quê (n): Countryside, fields. Poetic or descriptive.
  • Một bức tranh đồng quê yên bình. (A peaceful picture of the countryside.)

Synonyms

• Countryside: Rural areas.
• Native place: Place of origin.
• Provincial (adj): Pertaining to the provinces, sometimes implying unsophisticated (when used pejoratively).

Related Idioms/Expressions

• Chất phác nhà quê: To be simple and honest in a rustic way.
  • Tính cách chất phác nhà quê của anh ấy rất đáng mến. (His simple, rustic character is very likable.)
• Đồ nhà quê: A derogatory phrase meaning "rustic" or "tacky" items or manners.
  • Cách ăn mặc đó trông thật đồ nhà quê. (That way of dressing looks really rustic/tacky.)

1. (cũ) Native village, native place
   • Về quê thăm họ hàng
     To go to one's native village and visit one's relatives
2. Country
3. Country people