thể nữ
Definition
- Noun:
- A palace maid; a lady-in-waiting: A young woman who serves and attends to royalty, such as a king or queen, within a palace or royal court. This is an archaic, literary term.
- A female attendant in a royal harem: Historically, refers to a woman serving in the inner chambers of a royal palace.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Cung nga thể nữ nối sau. (Palace maidens and ladies-in-waiting followed behind.)
- Thể nữ hầu hạ bên cạnh hoàng hậu. (The lady-in-waiting attended beside the queen.)
Advanced Usage
- This term is primarily found in historical texts, poetry, and literature describing feudal Vietnamese courts. It is not used in modern, everyday contexts.
Variants and Related Words
- Cung nữ (n): palace maiden; a general term for women serving in the royal palace.
- Thị nữ (n): a female attendant or maid serving a lady of high rank.
Synonyms
- Lady-in-waiting
- Palace maid
- Handmaiden (in a royal context)
Related Concepts
- Cung tần mỹ nữ: A phrase referring to the collective beauties and concubines of the royal harem.
- Hậu cung: The inner palace or harem where the king's consorts and female attendants resided.