nhà tranh
Definition
- Noun:
- Thatched house: A house with a roof made of dry grass, reeds, or straw (thatch). This is the primary and most common meaning.
- Thatched cottage: A small, simple, and often rustic dwelling with a thatched roof.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ngôi nhà tranh nhỏ ấy ẩn sau lũy tre. (That small thatched house is hidden behind the bamboo hedge.)
- Người nông dân sống trong một căn nhà tranh đơn sơ. (The farmer lives in a simple thatched cottage.)
- Mái nhà tranh cần được thay mới định kỳ. (A thatched roof needs to be replaced periodically.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "nhà tranh" often evokes imagery of traditional rural life, simplicity, and a connection to nature in Vietnamese culture and literature.
- It can be used metaphorically to suggest a humble, modest, or impoverished lifestyle.
- Họ sống cuộc đời nhà tranh vách đất. (They live a life of simple thatched houses and earthen walls—meaning a very modest life.)
Variants and Related Words
- Nhà lá (n): A house with a roof made of leaves (e.g., palm leaves). This is very similar to "nhà tranh" and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, though "tranh" specifically refers to a type of grass/reeds.
- Mái tranh (n): Thatched roof. This refers specifically to the roof component.
- Tranh (n): Thatch; the dry grass or reeds used for roofing.
Synonyms
- Thatched cottage: A small house with a thatched roof.
- Thatched dwelling: A place of residence with a thatched roof.
- Hut: A small, simple shelter, which may have a thatched roof (this can be a broader, less specific synonym).
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Nhà tranh vách đất: Literally "thatched house, earthen walls." This idiom describes a very poor, rudimentary, and humble dwelling, emphasizing extreme simplicity and poverty.
- Thuở ấy, gia đình tôi ở trong cảnh nhà tranh vách đất. (In those days, my family lived in a state of thatched houses and earthen walls.)