Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Residing at home; lay (religious context): Describes a person, typically a Buddhist practitioner, who observes religious precepts and practices while living in their own home, not in a temple or monastery.
   • Domestic; home-based: Pertaining to activities or roles performed within one's own household.

2. Adverb:

   • At home: Indicates the location where an action occurs, specifically within one's own residence.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Cụ ấy là một Phật tử tại gia. (He is a lay Buddhist devotee.)
  • Công việc tại gia của cô ấy là dạy học trực tuyến. (Her home-based work is teaching online.)

• Adverb:

  • Bà tôi thường tu hành tại gia. (My grandmother usually practices her religion at home.)
  • Anh ấy làm việc tại gia vào thứ Sáu. (He works from home on Fridays.)

Advanced Usage

• "tu tại gia": To practice as a lay Buddhist; to observe religious disciplines while living a secular life at home.
  • Nhiều người lựa chọn tu tại gia thay vì xuất gia. (Many people choose to practice as lay Buddhists instead of becoming ordained monks/nuns.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tại gia đình (adv): At home; within the family. A more explicit form emphasizing the family unit.
  • Buổi họp mặt được tổ chức tại gia đình ông Chủ tịch. (The gathering was held at the Chairman's family home.)

Synonyms

• Lay (adjective): Non-professional or non-ordained, especially in a religious context.
• Domestic (adjective): Relating to the home or household.
• At home (adverb phrase): In one's own house.

Related Concepts

• Xuất gia (v): To leave home; to become an ordained monk or nun. This is the direct antonym of "tại gia" in a religious context.
  • Sau nhiều năm tu tại gia, ông quyết định xuất gia. (After many years as a lay practitioner, he decided to be ordained.)

adj, adv

1. at home