Definition

1. Noun:
   • Friar, Monk: A man who is a member of a Catholic religious order, living in a community under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. He is typically not an ordained priest (i.e., not a "linh mục"). The term often refers specifically to a teaching brother ("frère") in a Catholic school.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông ấy là một thầy dòng rất được học sinh kính trọng. (He is a friar who is highly respected by the students.)
  • Ngôi trường này trước đây do các thầy dòng điều hành. (This school was formerly run by the brothers.)
  • Anh ấy muốn sống đời tu hành và trở thành một thầy dòng. (He wants to live a religious life and become a friar.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "thầy dòng" is commonly used in the context of Catholic education in Vietnam to refer to teaching brothers, often from orders like the La San Brothers (Sư huynh La San).
  • Các thầy dòng đã có công lớn trong việc phát triển nền giáo dục ở đây. (The teaching brothers contributed greatly to the development of education here.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nhà dòng (n): monastery, convent; the residence of a religious community.

  • Anh ấy sống và làm việc trong một nhà dòng. (He lives and works in a monastery.)

• Tu sĩ (n): a general term for a religious person (monk, nun, friar).

  • Các tu sĩ tham gia vào nhiều hoạt động từ thiện. (Religious persons participate in many charitable activities.)

Synonyms

• Friar: A member of certain religious orders of men, especially the four mendicant orders.
• Monk: A man who is a member of a religious community, often living in a monastery.
• Brother: A male member of a religious order who is not a priest; often used as a title (e.g., Brother John).
• Religious brother: A formal term for a man who has taken vows in a religious institute but is not ordained.

Related Terms and Context

• Linh mục (n): priest; an ordained minister in the Catholic Church. This is a distinct role from a thầy dòng.

  • Cha xứ là một linh mục, còn người dạy toán là một thầy dòng. (The parish priest is a priest, while the math teacher is a brother.)

• Trường dòng (n): a Catholic school, often historically staffed by brothers (thầy dòng) or sisters.

  • Nhiều trường dòng nổi tiếng về chất lượng đào tạo. (Many Catholic schools are famous for their quality of education.)

noun

1. friar, monk