Definition

1. Noun:
   • Teacher and friend: A compound noun referring to a person who is both one's teacher and friend, or to the dual relationship of mentorship and friendship. It denotes a respectful and close bond where guidance and companionship are combined.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông ấy không chỉ là người hướng dẫn mà còn là một sư hữu thân thiết của tôi. (He is not only a mentor but also a close teacher-friend of mine.)
  • Mối quan hệ sư hữu giữa họ thật đáng quý. (Their teacher-friend relationship is truly precious.)

Advanced Usage Notes

• Contextual Rarity: The term sư hữu is considered literary and is used infrequently in modern everyday Vietnamese. It is more likely to be encountered in formal, reflective, or classical contexts, such as in writing about Confucian relationships, traditional education, or profound personal bonds.
• Nuance: It carries a tone of deep respect and affectionate camaraderie, implying that the "teacher" aspect is primary and formal, while the "friend" aspect is a cherished additional layer to the relationship.

Variants and Related Words

• Sư (n): Teacher, master, often used in compounds (e.g., - professor) or as a respectful term for a monk.
• Hữu (n): Friend, comrade (literary), often used in compounds (e.g., - friends, - comrade-in-arms).
• Sư phụ (n): Master, teacher (common, with a strong emphasis on the master-disciple hierarchy).
• Bạn (n): Friend (common, neutral).

Synonyms

• Thầy bạn: A near-synonymous compound with the same literal meaning (teacher-friend), also literary.
• Người thầy kiêm bạn: A descriptive phrase meaning "a person who is both teacher and friend."

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Vừa là thầy, vừa là bạn: An idiomatic phrase meaning "to be both a teacher and a friend." This is a more common and descriptive way to express the same concept as sư hữu.
  • Cha tôi luôn vừa là thầy, vừa là bạn của tôi. (My father has always been both a teacher and a friend to me.)

1. (ít dùng) Teacher and friend