Definitions

1. Noun:
   • Tricolour: A pattern or animal coat consisting of three distinct colours, typically used to describe cats with black, white, and yellow/orange fur.
   • Three-coloured: Having or involving three colours.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Con mèo nhà tôi là mèo tam thể. (My cat is a tricolour cat.)
  • Hoa văn trên vải có kiểu tam thể rất đẹp. (The pattern on the fabric has a very beautiful three-coloured design.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "tam thể" is used almost exclusively as a modifier in compound nouns, primarily "mèo tam thể" (tricolour cat). It describes the specific three-coloured fur pattern, which in cats is often linked to the female sex due to genetics.
• It can occasionally describe other items with a three-colour scheme, but this usage is less common and typically needs the object specified (e.g., – a three-coloured shirt).

Variants and Related Words

• Tam sắc: A more formal or literary synonym meaning "three-coloured" or "tricolour," which can be used in broader contexts (e.g., – tricolour flag).

Synonyms

• Ba màu: Literally "three colours." This is a more general descriptive phrase.
  • Con mèo ba màu (a three-coloured cat).

Notes on Meaning

• The primary and most common meaning refers specifically to the fur colouration of cats (black, white, and yellow/orange). Other uses are derivative.
• It is a compound word in itself ( = three, = form/colour), so it functions as a single adjective-like noun within phrases.

noun

1. tricolour