Definition

1. Noun:
   • Boatman / Ferryman: A person whose job is to row a boat or operate a ferry to transport people or goods across a river or body of water.
   • Pagoda Warden / Temple Keeper: A man, often a layperson, who is responsible for the care, maintenance, and guarding of a Buddhist pagoda or temple.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông sãi già đã chở khách qua sông suốt ba mươi năm. (The old boatman has ferried passengers across the river for thirty years.)
  • Sãi của ngôi chùa này rất hiền lành và cần mẫn. (The warden of this pagoda is very gentle and diligent.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "sãi" is considered somewhat archaic or literary in modern Vietnamese. In contemporary usage, "người chở đò" is more common for "boatman," and "người trông coi chùa" or "người giữ chùa" is more common for "temple keeper."
• It is most frequently encountered in the well-known Vietnamese proverb.

Related Idioms and Proverbs

• "Nhiều sãi không ai đóng cửa chùa."
  • Literal meaning: Many temple wardens, but no one closes the pagoda gate.
  • Figurative meaning: This proverb is equivalent to the English saying "Everybody's business is nobody's business." It criticizes a situation where too many people are responsible for a task, leading to the assumption that someone else will do it, and ultimately, the task is neglected.

Synonyms

• For "boatman": Ferryman, oarsman.
• For "pagoda warden": Temple keeper, custodian, caretaker.

Notes on Usage

• "Sãi" specifically refers to a male caretaker. Historically, it could also refer to a male Buddhist novice or lay attendant, distinct from a fully ordained monk ("sư").
• Its use today is largely confined to historical contexts, literature, and the fixed proverb mentioned above.

1. Boatman
   • Pagoda's warden Nhiều sãi không ai đóng cửa chùa
     Everybody's business is nobody's business