thân phận
Definition
Noun: 1. Lot, plight, condition: One's overall situation or state in life, often implying a predetermined or unchangeable aspect, especially one that is unfortunate, lowly, or humble. 2. Social status / station: One's position or rank within a social hierarchy, frequently with connotations of being fixed or inferior.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Anh ta than thở về thân phận nghèo khó của mình. (He lamented his lot of poverty.)
- Họ thấu hiểu thân phận làm người di cư. (They deeply understand the plight of being migrants.)
- Thời phong kiến, thân phận người phụ nữ thường rất thấp kém. (In feudal times, the social station of women was often very low.)
Advanced Usage
- The word often carries a philosophical or literary weight, reflecting on the predetermined nature, limitations, or inherent sadness of the human condition.
- Nhà văn ấy thường khai thác đề tài thân phận con người trong chiến tranh. (That writer often explores the theme of the human condition in war.)
Variants and Related Words
- Thân thế (n): Background, personal history and circumstances. While related, is more factual and descriptive of one's past, whereas is more evaluative of one's overall state or fate.
- Thân thế của nhân vật chính rất phức tạp. (The protagonist's background is very complex.)
Synonyms
- Lot: One's fortune or destiny in life.
- Plight: A difficult or unfortunate situation.
- Condition: The particular state of someone or something.
- Station: One's social or official rank or position.
Related Idioms
- Thân phận tôi đòi: A set phrase meaning "the condition/lot of a servant"; signifies a very lowly, subservient, or humble status.
- Ông ấy đã trải qua một thời kỳ thân phận tôi đòi. (He went through a period of servitude / a servant's lot.)
noun
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lot, plight, condition
