nhà ngang
Definition
- Noun:
- Annex, wing (of a house): A subsidiary or secondary building, typically located perpendicular to or alongside the main house. It often serves as additional living space, a kitchen, or storage area.
- Outbuilding, dependency: A separate, smaller structure within a residential compound, serving auxiliary functions.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Gia đình tôi dùng nhà ngang làm bếp và phòng ăn. (My family uses the annex as a kitchen and dining room.)
- Nhà ngang thường được xây thấp hơn nhà chính. (The wing is usually built lower than the main house.)
- Căn nhà ngang đó được dùng để tiếp khách thân thiết. (That outbuilding is used to receive close guests.)
Advanced Usage
- In traditional Vietnamese architecture, especially in "nhà ba gian" (three-compartment house) or "nhà năm gian" (five-compartment house) compounds, the "nhà ngang" is a crucial part of the layout, often forming an L-shape or U-shape with the main house ("nhà chính").
- It can imply a social or functional hierarchy within the family compound, being secondary to the main house which contains the ancestral altar.
Variants and Related Words
- Nhà phụ: A more general term for an auxiliary or secondary house.
- Nhà chính: The main house, the principal building in a compound.
- Dãy nhà ngang: A row of annex buildings.
Synonyms
- Annex: A building joined to or associated with a main building.
- Wing: A part of a building projecting from its main section.
- Outbuilding: A smaller separate building on the same property as a main building.
- Dependency: (Architectural) A subsidiary building.
Related Phrases / Idioms
- Nhà trên nhà dưới, nhà ngang nhà dọc: A phrase describing a large, spacious compound with many buildings (main house, back house, annexes, etc.), implying wealth and a large family structure.
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Annex, wing
