Definition

1. Noun (Historical):

   • Mandarins' ranks: The hierarchical system of official grades or levels within the imperial bureaucracy of historical Vietnam, denoting a civil servant's status, salary, and privileges.

2. Noun (Archaic, Extended Meaning):

   • Grade/quality level of goods: An archaic term used to classify the quality or grade of merchandise.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Historical):

  • Dưới thời phong kiến, mỗi vị quan đều có phẩm cấp rõ ràng. (In the feudal era, each mandarin had a clear official rank.)
  • Ông ấy được thăng lên phẩm cấp cao hơn. (He was promoted to a higher mandarin rank.)

• Noun (Archaic, Extended Meaning):

  • Hàng hóa được chia thành nhiều phẩm cấp khác nhau. (The goods were divided into many different quality grades.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in historical or academic contexts discussing pre-modern Vietnamese administration and society. It is considered an archaic word in modern Vietnamese.

Variants and Related Words

• Phẩm hàm (n): Official title or rank (often used similarly in historical contexts).

  • Phẩm hàm của quan lại được quy định chặt chẽ. (The official titles of mandarins were strictly regulated.)

• Cấp bậc (n): Level, rank, grade (a modern, general term for any hierarchy).

  • Cấp bậc trong quân đội rất quan trọng. (Rank in the military is very important.)

Synonyms

• Official rank
• Mandarin grade
• Hierarchical level (historical)
• Quality tier (archaic for goods)

Notes

• Word Origin: A compound of "phẩm" (quality, grade) and "cấp" (level, rank).
• Modern Relevance: In contemporary language, this specific term is largely obsolete. For discussing ranks, modern terms like "cấp bậc," "chức vụ," or "ngạch bậc" are used. For product quality, "phẩm chất," "cấp độ," or "hạng" are standard.

1. (từ cũ) Mandarins' ranks