Definition

1. Noun (Literary / Classical):
   • People of the world / ordinary people: Refers to common humanity, the multitude of people living in the secular world, often with a connotation of their mundane concerns, fleeting lives, and worldly affairs. It carries a philosophical or poetic tone, contrasting with enlightened or transcendent beings.
   • Mortal beings: Emphasizes the transient, earthly nature of human existence.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Thế nhân thường bon chen vì danh lợi. (People of the world often scramble for fame and gain.)
  • Nhà thơ ấy hay viết về nỗi cô đơn giữa thế nhân. (That poet often writes about loneliness amidst mortal beings.)
  • Cõi đời vô thường, thế nhân mấy ai hiểu được? (The world is impermanent; how many ordinary people understand this?)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in classical Vietnamese poetry, philosophical texts, and literary prose. It is not used in everyday conversation. It often sets a contemplative, detached, or slightly melancholic tone regarding human nature and society.

Variants and Related Words

• Nhân thế (n): A less common variant with a similar meaning, referring to the human world or mortal realm.
• Thế gian (n): the world; the secular realm. (More common than "thế nhân").
• Phàm nhân (n): mortals; ordinary people (also literary).

Synonyms

• Mankind / humanity: The human race.
• The multitude: The common people.
• Mortals: Human beings subject to death.

Related Concepts

• Trần thế (n): the earthly world.
• Cõi tục (n): the mundane world.
• Often contrasted with terms like bậc hiền triết (sage), thánh nhân (saint), or người giác ngộ (enlightened one).