Definition

1. Verb (archaic, formal):
   • To perform worship ceremonies / to conduct sacrificial rites: Refers to the formal and ritualistic act of making offerings and conducting ceremonies to honor deities, ancestors, or spirits, typically within a traditional or religious context.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Các bậc trưởng lão trong làng lo việc tế tự tại đình. (The village elders are responsible for conducting the worship ceremonies at the communal house.)
  • Tế tự tổ tiên là một phong tục quan trọng. (Performing sacrificial rites for ancestors is an important custom.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is primarily used in historical, literary, or formal contexts describing traditional rituals. It is not common in everyday modern speech.

Variants and Related Words

• Tế lễ (v): to worship, to perform ceremonies. A more commonly used synonym in modern contexts.

  • Tế lễ thần thánh cầu cho mưa thuận gió hòa. (To worship the gods praying for favorable weather.)

• Cúng tế (v): to offer sacrifices, to worship.

  • Lễ vật dùng để cúng tế rất cầu kỳ. (The offerings used for sacrifice are very elaborate.)

Synonyms

• To worship ceremonially: To engage in formal acts of religious devotion.
• To perform rites: To carry out prescribed ritual procedures.
• To make sacrificial offerings: To present offerings as part of a ritual.

Related Idioms

• While "tế tự" itself is not typically part of idioms, it relates to the conceptual field of:
  • Hương hỏa tế tự: Refers to the continuity of ancestral worship and the maintenance of family rituals.

    • Gia đình ấy rất coi trọng việc hương hỏa tế tự. (That family places great importance on maintaining ancestral worship.)