thê tử
Definition
- Noun (Archaic):
- Wife and children: A collective term referring to one's spouse and offspring as a single familial unit, primarily used in classical or literary contexts.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Sau trận chiến, người lính mong sớm được đoàn tụ với thê tử. (After the battle, the soldier longed to reunite with his wife and children.)
- Trong thư, ông ấy luôn hỏi thăm sức khỏe của thê tử ở quê nhà. (In his letters, he always inquired after the health of his wife and children back home.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "thê tử" is almost exclusively found in historical texts, classical poetry, or formal writings that imitate an archaic style. It conveys a sense of classical refinement and is not used in modern everyday speech.
Variants and Related Words
Gia quyến (n): A more modern, though still formal, term for "family dependents" or "one's family."
- Ông ấy lo lắng cho sự an toàn của gia quyến. (He was worried about the safety of his family.)
Vợ con (n): The standard, contemporary phrase for "wife and children."
- Anh ấy làm việc vất vả để nuôi vợ con. (He works hard to support his wife and children.)
Synonyms
- Family: One's spouse and children.
- Dependents: Persons who rely on one for support, typically referring to spouse and children.
Notes on Usage
- "Thê tử" is an archaic compound noun. It should be treated as a fixed, inseparable unit meaning "wife and children." It is important not to interpret it as two separate modern words, as "thê" alone (meaning "wife") is also archaic, and "tử" alone has other meanings (e.g., "child," "offspring," but is rarely used solo in modern Vietnamese).
- Its use in modern contexts would sound deliberately poetic, historical, or excessively formal.