Definition

1. Noun:
   • Stepmother (archaic/literary): A formal or literary term for a stepmother, specifically referring to a father's wife who is not one's biological mother. The word carries a classical tone and is less common in modern everyday speech.
   • Stepmother (with potential negative connotation): In some historical or literary contexts, similar to the English "marâtre," it can imply a harsh, unkind, or cruel stepmother, though this is contextual.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong câu chuyện cổ tích, nhân vật thứ mẫu thường rất độc ác. (In fairy tales, the stepmother character is often very cruel.)
  • Sau khi cha qua đời, bà ấy vẫn đối xử tốt với con chồng như một người thứ mẫu hiền lành. (After her father passed away, she still treated her stepchildren well like a kind stepmother.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "thứ mẫu" is primarily found in classical literature, historical texts, or formal writing. In contemporary Vietnamese, "mẹ kế" or "mẹ ghẻ" (the latter often carrying a more explicitly negative connotation) are more commonly used for "stepmother."

Variants and Related Words

• Mẹ kế (n): Stepmother (neutral, modern term).

  • Mẹ kế của tôi là một kiến trúc sư. (My stepmother is an architect.)

• Mẹ ghẻ (n): Stepmother (often implies a mean or wicked stepmother).

  • Đứa trẻ bị mẹ ghẻ ngược đãi. (The child was mistreated by her stepmother.)

• Kế mẫu (n): Another literary synonym for stepmother.

Synonyms

• Stepmother: A woman who is married to one's father but is not one's biological mother.
• Marâtre (literary): A stepmother, especially one who is cruel or harsh (from French, used in some Vietnamese literary contexts).

Related Idioms

• While there is no direct idiom with "thứ mẫu", the concept is central to many Vietnamese proverbs and folk tales about difficult family relationships, often contrasted with "mẹ đẻ" (biological mother).