Definition

1. Adverb:
   • Formerly and in the future; of the past and the future: "Sau xưa" is an archaic compound adverb describing a temporal scope that encompasses both past ("xưa") and future ("sau") times. It refers to stories, discussions, or considerations about times gone by and times yet to come.

Usage

• "Sau xưa" is used almost exclusively in the fixed literary or poetic phrase "nói chuyện sau xưa" (to talk of the past and the future). It describes the act of telling tales or having conversations that span across time, often with a nostalgic, philosophical, or storytelling tone. This word is considered literary and is rarely used in modern everyday conversation.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:
  • Các cụ già thường ngồi nói chuyện sau xưa bên bếp lửa. (The elders often sit by the fireplace telling tales of times past and future.)
  • Truyện cổ tích thường kể về những câu chuyện sau xưa. (Fairy tales often tell stories of former and future times.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "sau xưa" itself is a complete, fixed expression. Its usage is highly specific and does not commonly form other phrasal verbs or idioms beyond the core phrase "nói chuyện sau xưa" or its variants like "kể chuyện sau xưa" (to narrate stories of the past and future).

Variants and Related Words

• Xưa (n/adj): Past, ancient, olden times.
  • Ngày xưa (Once upon a time / In the old days)
• Sau (adv/prep): After, behind, in the future.
  • Ngày sau (In the future / Later days)
• Chuyện xưa tích cũ (Idiom): Old stories and ancient tales; refers to traditional folklore or old narratives.

Synonyms

• Quá khứ và tương lai: Past and future (a direct, modern descriptive phrase).
• Trước sau: Before and after (can imply sequence but less commonly for storytelling about time).

Notes on Meaning

• Literary and Archaic: "Sau xưa" is an example of an inverted word pair ("sau" + "xưa") for poetic or rhetorical effect, similar to "non nước" (country) from "nước non". Its primary meaning is temporal (time), not spatial (position).
• Fixed Expression: It is crucial to understand this word as part of the set phrase "chuyện sau xưa" (stories of past and future) or the verbal phrase "nói/kể chuyện sau xưa". It is not typically used independently to modify other nouns or verbs.

1. Before and after, formely and in the future
   • Nói chuyện sau xưa
     To tell stories of former and future times