song

/sɔɳ/

Thân thiện

Một người thợ thủ công đang đan một chiếc ghế bằng song.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A type of climbing plant: "song" refers to a long, climbing plant of the rattan family, with compound feather-like leaves and sheaths. Its stem is used to make furniture, walking sticks, etc.
   • Window (archaic, literary): In classical and poetic Vietnamese, "song" means a window.
   • Window bar, grille (often shortened from 'chấn song'): "song" refers to the bars or lattice of a window.

2. Conjunction:

   • But, however, yet: "song" is a literary conjunction used to express contrast, similar to "nhưng" but often with a stronger or more formal tone.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Plant):

  • Chiếc ghế này được làm từ thân cây song. (This chair is made from rattan.)
  • Ông cụ chống gậy song đi bộ. (The old man walks with a rattan walking stick.)

• Noun (Window/Bar):

  • Nàng ngồi tựa song cửa, ngắm trăng. (She sat leaning against the window, admiring the moon.) [Literary]
  • Căn phòng giam có song sắt kiên cố. (The prison cell has sturdy iron bars.)

• Conjunction:

  • Công việc khó khăn, song chúng tôi không nản chí. (The work is difficult, but/however we are not discouraged.)
  • Anh ấy đồng ý giúp đỡ, song với một điều kiện. (He agreed to help, however/but with one condition.)

Advanced Usage

• "Song le": Nevertheless, however (an even more formal/literary conjunction).
  • Thời tiết xấu, song le đoàn leo núi vẫn quyết tâm lên đỉnh. (The weather was bad; nevertheless, the climbing team was determined to reach the summit.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chấn song (n): Window bars, grille. This is the full term, with "song" often used as a shortened form.
• Song cửa (n): Window (specifically the barred/window part).
• Gậy song (n): A walking stick made from rattan.

Synonyms

• Conjunction: Nhưng, tuy nhiên, thế nhưng (but, however).
• Noun (Plant): Mây, le (rattan, similar climbing plants).
• Noun (Bar): Thanh chắn, lan can (bar, railing).

Notes on Usage

• As a conjunction, "song" is primarily used in formal writing, literature, or speeches. In everyday spoken Vietnamese, "nhưng" is far more common.
• The meanings related to plants and window bars are standard nouns. The meaning of "window" itself is now archaic or poetic; the modern word for window is "cửa sổ". When "song" appears in modern contexts, it usually refers to the bars ("song sắt") or is part of fixed phrases ("bên song").

Học thuật

noun

1. window rattan

conj

1. but, however