Definition

Noun: 1. Clerk: A person employed in an office, bank, or government department to perform administrative tasks such as record-keeping, filing, and correspondence. Historically in Vietnam, this term specifically referred to a male clerk or scribe with a certain level of education and social standing. 2. Scribe, Secretary: An old-fashioned term for a person whose job was to write documents, letters, or keep accounts, often for a mandarin, a French colonial office, or a local administration.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông nội tôi ngày xưa làm thầy ký ở tòa án. (My grandfather used to work as a clerk at the court.)
  • Vị thầy ký già ngồi ghi chép cẩn thận mọi sự việc. (The old clerk sat carefully recording all events.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "thầy ký" is now considered archaic and historical. It evokes the administrative system of the late 19th and early-to-mid 20th centuries, particularly during the French colonial period. It carries a connotation of a respectable, educated position, though not part of the high-ranking mandarin class.
• It is sometimes used in literature or historical narratives to add period authenticity.

Variants and Related Words

• Thầy kí: An alternative spelling. The meanings are identical.
• Ký, Thư ký (noun): Modern terms for "secretary" or "clerk." "Thư ký" is the standard contemporary word.
• Nhân viên văn phòng (noun): Office worker/staff. A more general modern term.

Synonyms

• Thư ký: Secretary, clerk.
• Nhân viên hành chính: Administrative staff.
• Người ghi chép: Scribe, recorder.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• Làm thầy ký: To work as a clerk (often implying a historical or old-fashioned job).
  • Cụ ấy cả đời làm thầy ký cho một hãng buôn. (He worked his whole life as a clerk for a trading company.)

noun

1. clerk