Definition

1. Noun:
   • Petition to the king: A formal written document submitted to the king or emperor to report on matters or to request something.
   • Prayer to deities: A piece of paper inscribed with prayers or supplications to deities or spirits, read during worship ceremonies and often burned afterward as an offering.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Các quan dâng sớ lên nhà vua. (The mandarins presented a petition to the king.)
  • Thầy cúng đọc sớ cầu an cho gia đình. (The ritual master read a prayer for the family's peace and safety.)
  • Sau khi cúng, họ đốt tờ sớ. (After the ceremony, they burned the prayer paper.)

Advanced Usage

• "dâng sớ": to present/submit a petition (to a king).
  • Vị quan trung thành dâng sớ can gián nhà vua. (The loyal official submitted a petition to admonish the king.)
• "tấu sớ": to memorialize; to present a written report or petition (to the throne).
  • Ông ấy tấu sớ xin về quê. (He memorialized the throne requesting to return to his hometown.)
• "sớ văn": the text/content of a prayer or petition.
  • Sớ văn thường được viết bằng chữ Hán Nôm. (The text of a petition is often written in Hán-Nôm characters.)

Variants and Related Words

• Biểu: A memorial or report to the emperor; often used in the compound sớ biểu (petitions and memorials).
• Tấu: To report to the king/emperor; often used in the compound sớ tấu (petitions and reports).
• Thớ (in some dialects): Fiber, grain (as in wood or meat). Note: This is a different, homophonous word.

Synonyms

• Đơn: Application, request form (modern, secular usage).
• Thỉnh nguyện thư: Petition letter (formal).
• Văn tế: Funeral oration (a different type of ritual text).

Related Phrases

• Sớ điệp: A general term for ritual documents/prayers used in worship.
  • Lễ đầy tháng cần có sớ điệp. (The one-month-old baby ceremony requires ritual documents.)
• Phóng sớ: To release/send off the prayer (by burning it), allowing it to ascend to the heavens.
  • Sau khi đọc xong, thầy pháp tiến hành phóng sớ. (After finishing the reading, the sorcerer proceeded to release the prayer by burning it.)

Related Idioms

• Chầu trời đọc sớ: An idiom implying a futile effort or talking to someone who doesn't listen (literally: "to attend the court of heaven and read a petition").
  • Giải thích với anh ta như chầu trời đọc sớ. (Explaining to him is like talking to a brick wall / reading a petition to heaven.)

noun

1. petition to the king