thụ tang
Definition
- Verb:
- To observe mourning / to be in mourning: The primary meaning of "thụ tang" is to formally observe the mourning period and rituals following the death of a family member, adhering to traditional customs and wearing mourning attire.
- To wear mourning clothes: Specifically refers to the act of putting on the traditional white mourning garments (áo tràng) as an outward sign of bereavement.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Con cháu thụ tang ba năm cho ông nội. (The grandchildren observed a three-year mourning period for their grandfather.)
- Theo phong tục, những người thụ tang mặc đồ trắng. (According to custom, those in mourning wear white clothes.)
- Gia đình đang thụ tang nên không tham dự lễ hội. (The family is in mourning, so they will not attend the festival.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "thụ tang" is deeply rooted in Confucian-influenced Vietnamese tradition, specifying a formalized period of grief with prescribed rules based on the relationship to the deceased. The duration (e.g., 3 years for parents) and intensity of the mourning rites are strictly defined.
Variants and Related Words
Để tang (v): A more common, general synonym for "to mourn" or "to be in mourning."
- Họ để tang mẹ đúng một năm. (They mourned their mother for exactly one year.)
Mãn tang (v): To complete the mourning period.
- Sau khi mãn tang, gia đình trở lại cuộc sống thường nhật. (After the mourning period ended, the family returned to daily life.)
Synonyms
- Mourn: To feel or show sorrow for someone's death.
- Observe mourning: To follow the formal rituals of a mourning period.
- Wear mourning: To dress in clothes that signify bereavement.
Related Cultural Concepts
Tang lễ (n): Funeral rites or ceremony.
- Tang lễ được cử hành trang nghiêm. (The funeral was conducted solemnly.)
Hiếu (n): Filial piety, the virtue encompassing mourning duties for parents.
- Thụ tang là một phần của chữ hiếu. (Observing mourning is a part of filial piety.)