Definition

1. Noun:
   • A traditional Vietnamese opera troupe. This is the primary meaning, referring to a company or collective of performers dedicated to the art of chèo, a form of satirical musical theatre originating in northern Vietnam.
   • (Zoology, archaic) Minivet. This is a secondary, obsolete zoological term for a type of colorful passerine bird (genus Pericrocotus). This usage is now rare and not standard in modern Vietnamese.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Phường chèo ấy đã biểu diễn ở làng chúng tôi. (That chèo troupe performed in our village.)
  • Ông nội tôi từng là diễn viên trong một phường chèo nổi tiếng. (My grandfather was once an actor in a famous chèo troupe.)

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe a group of people behaving in a theatrical, exaggerated, or insincere manner, akin to actors in a play.
  • Cảnh họ cãi nhau như một màn kịch của phường chèo. (Their argument was like a scene from a chèo opera.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gánh chèo (n): Another term for a troupe, with "gánh" implying a traveling company.
• Chèo (n): The art form itself; traditional Vietnamese opera.
• Nghệ sĩ chèo (n): A performer or artist.

Synonyms

• Troupe (for the theatrical meaning).
• Company (for the theatrical meaning).
• Opera troupe (specifically for ).

Related Idioms

• While not a direct idiom, the phrase "lối diễn của phường chèo" (the acting style of a troupe) can be used to criticize someone for being overly dramatic, melodramatic, or fake in their emotions or actions.