Definitions

1. Verb:
   • To shop, to go shopping: Refers to the act of purchasing goods, especially in preparation for an event or to acquire necessary items.
   • To prepare, to make preparations: In a broader or more traditional sense, it means to arrange or procure things in advance for a specific purpose, such as for a ceremony, wedding, or festival.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cô ấy ra chợ để sắm sanh đồ dùng cho Tết. (She went to the market to shop for Lunar New Year supplies.)
  • Gia đình tôi đang bận rộn sắm sanh cho đám cưới. (My family is busy preparing for the wedding.)

Advanced Usage

• "sắm sanh lễ vật": to prepare/purchase ceremonial offerings.
  • Trước ngày giỗ, họ phải sắm sanh lễ vật đầy đủ. (Before the death anniversary, they must fully prepare the ceremonial offerings.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sắm (verb): To buy, to purchase. This is a more common, shorter form with a similar core meaning.
  • Anh ấy định sắm một chiếc xe mới. (He intends to buy a new car.)
• Sanh (verb, archaic/poetic): To give birth, to produce. In the compound "sắm sanh", this element reinforces the meaning of "preparing" or "bringing forth" what is needed.

Synonyms

• Mua sắm (verb): To shop, to go shopping. This is the most common modern synonym.
• Chuẩn bị (verb): To prepare.
• Lo liệu (verb): To arrange, to take care of (preparations).

Notes on Meaning

• The word "sắm sanh" is often used in the context of significant life events (e.g., weddings, holidays, rituals) and implies a thoughtful, purposeful act of preparation and acquisition. It carries a more formal or traditional nuance than the everyday term "mua sắm" (shopping).
• As seen in the reference from "Truyện Kiều" (), the term has long been used in literary Vietnamese with this meaning of preparation and procurement.

1. Go shopping, shop