Definition

Noun: - A specific cold spell in the third lunar month: "Rét nàng Bân" refers to a period of unseasonably cold weather that occurs in the third month of the Vietnamese lunar calendar (typically around April in the solar calendar). It is a folkloric term embedded in Vietnamese agricultural and cultural tradition.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Tháng ba âm lịch năm nay lại có đợt rét nàng Bân. (This year, there is another spell of "rét nàng Bân" in the third lunar month.)
  • Ông bà ta thường nói: "Rét nàng Bân thì mát mùa màng". (Our ancestors often said: "The cold of Nàng Bân brings coolness to the crops.")

Advanced Usage

• Cultural Context: The term originates from a Vietnamese folktale about a woman named Bân (or a fairy maiden in some versions) who wove clouds. The cold spell is poetically attributed to her weaving, symbolizing a final bout of cold before the true warmth of summer arrives. It is not merely a meteorological event but a cultural marker in the agricultural calendar.
• Proverbial Use: It is often used in proverbs and folk sayings to predict weather patterns and guide farming activities, implying this cold spell is normal and even beneficial.

Variants and Related Words

• Rét (n): cold, cold weather.
  • Trời đang rét. (The weather is cold.)
• Tiết trời (n): weather, climate.
  • Tiết trời tháng ba thất thường. (The weather in the third month is unpredictable.)

Synonyms

• Đợt rét cuối mùa (n): the last cold spell of the season.
• Rét tháng ba (n): cold in the third month (a more literal, less folkloric term).

Related Idioms

• "Rét nàng Bân, băn khoăn mùa màng": (The cold of Nàng Bân brings worry for the crops.) This is a less common variant, showing the dual perception of this weather as both a natural phenomenon and a concern for farmers.
• The most common associated saying is the one in the example: "Rét nàng Bân thì mát mùa màng", highlighting its perceived positive effect.

1. Cold in the third lunar month