thị tì
Definition
- Noun:
- A female servant or maidservant in the old feudal society: This term specifically refers to a woman or girl who performed domestic duties and personal service for a master or mistress within a historical, hierarchical social system, such as in royal courts or aristocratic households.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Trong cung điện, các thị tì chăm sóc cho công chúa. (In the palace, the female servants cared for the princess.)
- Vai diễn một thị tì trung thành rất được yêu thích. (The role of a loyal maidservant is very popular.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "thị tì" is now primarily historical or literary. It evokes a specific social structure and master-servant relationship from Vietnam's feudal past. It is not used for modern domestic helpers.
Variants and Related Words
- Nô tì (n): A female slave or bondmaid; implies a more severe, unfree status than "thị tì."
- Tỳ nữ (n): A synonym for maidservant or handmaiden, also used in historical/literary contexts.
- Hầu gái (n): A more general, less formal term for a maid or female servant.
Synonyms
- Maidservant: A female servant.
- Handmaiden: A female servant or personal attendant.
- Lady-in-waiting: A female personal attendant to a noblewoman (a specific, often higher-ranking type of "thị tì").
Related Idioms
- While there is no direct idiom with "thị tì", the concept is central to many historical novels and dramas depicting court life, loyalty, and service.