Definition

1. Noun:
   • A female servant or maidservant in the old feudal society: This term specifically refers to a woman or girl who performed domestic duties and personal service for a master or mistress within a historical, hierarchical social system, such as in royal courts or aristocratic households.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong cung điện, các thị tì chăm sóc cho công chúa. (In the palace, the female servants cared for the princess.)
  • Vai diễn một thị tì trung thành rất được yêu thích. (The role of a loyal maidservant is very popular.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "thị tì" is now primarily historical or literary. It evokes a specific social structure and master-servant relationship from Vietnam's feudal past. It is not used for modern domestic helpers.

Variants and Related Words

• Nô tì (n): A female slave or bondmaid; implies a more severe, unfree status than "thị tì."
• Tỳ nữ (n): A synonym for maidservant or handmaiden, also used in historical/literary contexts.
• Hầu gái (n): A more general, less formal term for a maid or female servant.

Synonyms

• Maidservant: A female servant.
• Handmaiden: A female servant or personal attendant.
• Lady-in-waiting: A female personal attendant to a noblewoman (a specific, often higher-ranking type of "thị tì").

Related Idioms

• While there is no direct idiom with "thị tì", the concept is central to many historical novels and dramas depicting court life, loyalty, and service.