thuá»· phủ

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • Water Palace / Aquatic Palace: In mythology and folklore, the "thuỷ phủ" is the underwater palace or realm where the Water God, Dragon King, or other aquatic deities are believed to reside. It is a central concept in East Asian and Vietnamese animist and mythical traditions.
Usage Examples
  • Noun:
    • Truyền thuyết kể rằng Long Vương sống trong thuỷ phủ lộng lẫy dưới đáy biển. (Legend says the Dragon King lives in a magnificent water palace at the bottom of the sea.)
    • Ngư dân thường cúng vái thần thuỷ phủ để mong được bình an. (Fishermen often make offerings to the god of the water palace, hoping for safety.)
Advanced Usage
  • The term is almost exclusively used in literary, folkloric, or religious contexts to describe the mythical abode of water spirits. It is not used for modern, physical underwater structures.
Variants and Related Words

  • Thuỷ cung (n): This is a near-synonym meaning "aquatic palace" or "water palace." It can sometimes refer more broadly to an aquarium in modern usage, whereas "thuỷ phủ" remains strictly mythological.

    • Thuỷ cung ở Đà Nẵng rất đẹp. (The aquarium in Da Nang is very beautiful.)

  • Long cung (n): Literally "Dragon Palace," a specific term for the palace of the Dragon King, often synonymous with "thuỷ phủ."

    • Long cung là nơi ngự trị của Long Vương. (The Dragon Palace is the dominion of the Dragon King.)
Synonyms
  • Water Palace: The direct English translation for the mythical realm.
  • Aquatic Realm: A more general term for a domain under water.
  • Dragon King's Palace: A specific synonym highlighting its most famous resident.
Related Idioms and Concepts

  • Vào thuỷ phủ: To enter the water palace. Used figuratively to describe diving deep into water or, metaphorically, entering a complex and mysterious situation.

    • Thám hiểm hang động ngập nước đó chẳng khác nào vào thuỷ phủ. (Exploring that flooded cave is like entering the water palace.)

  • As a core concept in folklore, "thuỷ phủ" is central to many stories about floods, droughts, and interactions between humans and water deities.