Definition

1. Noun:
   • A traditional Vietnamese custom of selecting a son-in-law: "Sàng đông" refers to the specific practice, often historical or literary, where a family, particularly one of high status or with a daughter of marriageable age, carefully evaluates and chooses a husband for their daughter. The term implies a formal, deliberate selection process.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Gia đình quý tộc tổ chức sàng đông để chọn rể cho con gái. (The noble family held a "sàng đông" to select a son-in-law for their daughter.)
  • Tục lệ sàng đông ngày nay rất hiếm thấy. (The custom of "sàng đông" is very rare today.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in historical, cultural, or literary contexts to describe an old-fashioned matrimonial practice. It is not used in modern, everyday conversations about marriage.

Variants and Related Words

• Kén rể (v/n): to select a son-in-law; the act of selecting a son-in-law. This is a more common and contemporary phrase for a similar concept.
  • Nhà họ đang kén rể cho cô con gái út. (Their family is selecting a son-in-law for their youngest daughter.)

Synonyms

• Son-in-law selection: the act of choosing a husband for one's daughter.
• Groom selection: a more general term for choosing a marriage partner for a woman.

Related Idioms

• Kén cá chọn canh: To be very choosy or picky, especially in selecting a spouse or partner. This idiom shares the theme of careful selection found in "sàng đông."
  • Cô ấy kén cá chọn canh nên vẫn chưa lấy chồng. (She is so picky that she is still not married.)