Definition

1. Noun:
   • Lion: A large, powerful wild cat (scientific name: Panthera leo) with tawny-colored fur. Adult males have a prominent mane around their head and neck. It is known as the "king of the jungle" and is native to Africa and parts of Asia.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Sư tử là loài động vật ăn thịt. (The lion is a carnivorous animal.)
  • Con sư tử đực đang gầm lên. (The male lion is roaring.)
  • Chúng tôi đã nhìn thấy một đàn sư tử trong khu bảo tồn. (We saw a pride of lions in the sanctuary.)

Advanced Usage

• "Sư tử Hà Đông": A Vietnamese idiom referring to a jealous or fierce-tempered woman, similar to the English idiom "a jealous tiger" or "a shrew." It originates from a famous Vietnamese folk poem.

  • Cô ấy nổi tiếng là sư tử Hà Đông trong gia đình. (She is famously the jealous tiger in the family.)

• "Mặt sư tử": Literally "lion face," sometimes used metaphorically to describe a fierce or majestic appearance.

  • Vị tướng có mặt sư tử. (The general has a lion-like face.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sư tử cái (n): Lioness; a female lion.

  • Sư tử cái thường đi săn mồi. (The lioness usually hunts for prey.)

• Sư tử con (n): Lion cub; a young lion.

  • Những chú sư tử con đang chơi đùa. (The lion cubs are playing.)

• Sư tử biển (n): Sea lion; a different marine mammal. This is a compound word where "sư tử" is part of the name.

  • Chúng tôi xem sư tử biển biểu diễn. (We watched the sea lion perform.)

Synonyms

• Hùm: An older, more literary or regional Vietnamese word for tiger, sometimes used poetically for large cats but not a direct synonym for lion.
• Mãnh thú: Beast of prey; a general term for a fierce predator.

Related Phrases

• Nanh sư tử: Lion's fangs; often used to symbolize strength or ferocity.

  • Sức mạnh nanh sư tử. (The strength of a lion's fangs.)

• Tiếng gầm sư tử: The roar of a lion; symbolizes power and authority.

  • Nghe tiếng gầm sư tử từ xa. (Hearing the roar of a lion from afar.)

Related Idioms

• Hùm thiêng khi đã sa cơ cũng hèn: A proverb meaning "A mighty tiger, when fallen into misfortune, also becomes lowly." It is sometimes adapted with "sư tử" to convey a similar meaning about a fall from power.
• Mặt sư tử gan thỏ: Literally "a lion's face but a rabbit's courage"; used to describe someone who looks brave or fierce on the outside but is actually timid.

noun

1. lion
   • con sư tử