thông hành
Definition
- Noun:
- A pass; a travel permit: An official document issued by authorities, granting permission to travel through specific areas or checkpoints, especially in contexts of restricted movement or during historical periods of conflict.
- A commonly practiced custom; a convention: Refers to a widely accepted practice or procedure that is customary within a society (this meaning is now considered archaic).
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Người lính xuất trình giấy thông hành tại trạm kiểm soát. (The soldier presented his travel pass at the checkpoint.)
- Việc đó đã thành thông hành từ lâu. (That practice has long become a convention.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "thông hành" is largely historical or formal in modern Vietnamese. Its primary contemporary equivalent is "hộ chiếu" (passport) or "giấy phép" (permit/license) for international or official travel.
- It often evokes contexts of war, internal travel restrictions, or bureaucratic procedures from past decades.
Variants and Related Words
- Giấy thông hành (n): The full phrase meaning "travel permit" or "pass," specifying the document itself.
- Họ phải xin giấy thông hành để vượt biên giới. (They had to apply for a pass to cross the border.)
Synonyms
- Pass; Travel permit: An official authorization for passage.
- Laissez-passer; Safe-conduct: Terms for a document guaranteeing safe passage through hostile or controlled areas.
- Convention; Custom: A traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something.
Related Idioms
- While "thông hành" itself is not commonly used in idioms, the concept is related to formal permission. A related expression is:
- Có cửa thông hành: To have a clear path or permission to proceed (often used figuratively).
- Với tấm bằng đó, anh ta có cửa thông hành vào công ty lớn. (With that degree, he has a clear path into a major company.)