Definition

Noun: * Fortune-teller, soothsayer: A person whose profession is to predict the future or tell a person's fortune, often using specific methods like palmistry, astrology, or reading omens. The term often carries a slightly informal or folk connotation. * The villagers went to see the thầy bói to ask about the upcoming harvest. * She didn't believe what the thầy bói said about her destiny.

Usage Examples

• (My mother occasionally goes to see a fortune-teller to check her luck and misfortunes.)
• (That soothsayer said I would have good luck in my work.)
• (Don't completely trust the words of fortune-tellers.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "thầy bói" is a compound noun combining "thầy" (teacher, master) and "bói" (to tell fortunes). It specifically refers to a person, almost always male, who practices fortune-telling as a trade. For a female practitioner, the term "bà bói" or "cô bói" is used.
• It can be used metaphorically to describe someone who makes guesses or predictions, often with a hint of skepticism.
  • Anh ta nói như thầy bói, chẳng có căn cứ gì cả. (He speaks like a fortune-teller, with no basis at all.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bói toán (n/v): Fortune-telling (n), to tell fortunes (v). This is the general activity.
  • Tôi không tin vào bói toán. (I don't believe in fortune-telling.)
• Nhà tiên tri (n): Prophet, seer. This term has a more formal, grand, or religious connotation compared to the folk practice of "thầy bói".
• Thầy tử vi (n): A fortune-teller who specializes in Chinese astrology ().
• Thầy tướng số (n): A fortune-teller who specializes in physiognomy and numerology.

Synonyms

• Fortune-teller: (Người) bói toán. The most direct translation.
• Soothsayer: (Người) đoán vận mệnh. Slightly more literary.
• Diviner: (Thầy) bói, người bói toán. A more formal term.

Related Idioms

• "Thầy bói xem voi": Literally "The fortune-teller examines the elephant." This famous Vietnamese idiom, derived from a folk tale, criticizes those who make judgments or conclusions based on incomplete, partial information. It is equivalent to the English idiom "the blind men and the elephant."
  • Đừng có phán xét như thầy bói xem voi. (Don't judge like the fortune-tellers examining the elephant / like the blind men and the elephant.)

noun

1. fortuneteller, soothsayer