thuẫn
Definition
- Noun:
- Shield: A piece of defensive armor, historically carried on the arm or in the hand to block attacks from weapons such as swords or arrows. This is an archaic term for a shield in Vietnamese.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Chiến binh cầm thuẫn để tự vệ. (The warrior held a shield for self-defense.)
- Thuẫn và giáo là vũ khí phổ biến thời cổ đại. (Shields and spears were common weapons in ancient times.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "thuẫn" is primarily used in historical, literary, or formal contexts to evoke a classical or ancient setting. It is not commonly used in modern everyday speech.
Variants and Related Words
- Khiên: This is the modern, more common Vietnamese word for "shield."
- Lính cứu hỏa dùng khiên chắn nhiệt. (Firefighters use a heat shield.)
Synonyms
- Shield: A broad piece of armor for defense.
- Buckler: A small, round shield held in the hand (a close historical equivalent).
Related Idioms
- Mâu thuẫn: This is a compound word where "thuẫn" is combined with "mâu" (spear). It means "contradiction" or "conflict," metaphorically derived from the opposition between a spear (an offensive weapon) and a shield (a defensive one).
- Câu chuyện của anh ấy có nhiều mâu thuẫn. (His story has many contradictions.)