Definition

1. Noun:
   • Late cold spell / Late-season cold: Refers specifically to a period of cold weather that occurs unexpectedly late in the winter season, typically around or after the Lunar New Year (during the first lunar month, "tháng Giêng").

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Miền Bắc đang trải qua một đợt rét đài. (The North is experiencing a late cold spell.)
  • Rét đài tháng Giêng thường làm hỏng hoa màu. (The late-season cold in the first lunar month often damages crops.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in meteorology and agricultural contexts to describe a specific, unseasonable weather phenomenon that can impact farming schedules and harvests.

Variants and Related Words

• Rét nàng Bân: A poetic folk name for a late cold spell occurring in spring, often personified in Vietnamese folklore.
  • Câu chuyện về nàng Bân giải thích hiện tượng rét đài. (The story of Lady Ban explains the phenomenon of the late cold spell.)

Synonyms

• Late cold: Cold weather occurring after the expected winter period.
• Cold snap: A brief period of cold weather.

Related Idioms

• While not a standalone idiom, the concept is embedded in folk sayings about agriculture and weather, warning of the damaging effects of unseasonable cold.