thầy cúng
Definition
- Noun:
- A traditional ritual specialist or practitioner, typically in some Vietnamese folk religious and spiritual contexts, who performs ceremonies and offerings (cúng) to communicate with spirits, deities, or ancestors, often for purposes of healing, blessing, or resolving supernatural issues.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ngôi làng nhỏ vẫn còn mời thầy cúng khi có việc hệ trọng. (The small village still invites the ritual master for important matters.)
- Thầy cúng đang chuẩn bị lễ vật cho buổi cúng. (The ritual specialist is preparing offerings for the ceremony.)
Advanced Usage
- The term can carry an archaic or slightly derogatory connotation in modern secular contexts, implying superstition, as opposed to more formal religious figures.
- Một số người xem thầy cúng là mê tín dị đoan. (Some people view the ritual master as superstitious.)
Variants and Related Words
- Thầy pháp (n): A master of folk magic or esoteric practices, often overlapping in function with a but sometimes implying more active use of charms and spells.
- Thầy mo (n): A term used primarily among some ethnic minorities in Vietnam for a shaman or spirit medium.
- Pháp sư (n): A sorcerer or wizard; a more general term for a magic-user, often found in folk tales.
Synonyms
- Ritual master
- Folk religious practitioner
- Ceremonial specialist (in a folk context)
Related Idioms
- While there is no direct idiom with , the practice is related to the concept:
- Cúng bái: to worship, to make offerings. This is the core action performed by a thầy cúng.
- Việc cúng bái đòi hỏi sự thành tâm. (Worship requires sincerity.)