Definition

Noun: * Major (military rank): The lowest rank in the senior officer grade (field-grade officers), above captain and below lieutenant colonel. This rank is used in the armies, air forces, and marine corps of many countries. * Note: In some naval contexts, the equivalent rank may be "lieutenant commander" or similar, but "thiếu tá" is predominantly an army/air force rank.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anh ấy vừa được thăng cấp lên thiếu tá. (He was just promoted to major.)
  • Thiếu tá Nguyễn Văn A là chỉ huy của tiểu đoàn. (Major Nguyen Van A is the battalion commander.)
  • Cấp bậc của ông ấy là thiếu tá. (His rank is major.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is specific to military hierarchy. It is often used formally before a name as a title of address or reference (e.g., Thiếu tá Nam).
• It is part of a structured rank system: Thiếu úy (Second Lieutenant) -> Trung úy (First Lieutenant) -> Đại úy (Captain) -> Thiếu tá (Major) -> Trung tá (Lieutenant Colonel) -> Đại tá (Colonel).

Variants and Related Words

• Thiếu tá Công an: Major (in the People's Public Security of Vietnam). The structure is similar but within the police force.
• Thiếu Tá (with capital letters): Often used in official documents or formal written contexts.
• Cấp tá: Refers to the field-grade officer tier collectively (including Thiếu tá, Trung tá, Đại tá).

Synonyms

• Major: The direct and most common English equivalent.
• Field-grade officer (junior grade): A descriptive term for the rank category, though not a direct title.

Related Phrases / Compound Terms

• Quân hàm thiếu tá: Major's rank insignia.
• Lễ thăng cấp thiếu tá: Promotion ceremony to the rank of major.
• Phòng thiếu tá: May refer to the office of a major or a room designated for officers of that rank.

noun

1. major