Definition

1. Noun (archaic):
   • The common people / the populace: A term from feudal times referring collectively to the masses, the ordinary citizens of a country. It emphasizes the multitude of families or clans within a society.
   • The hundred clans / all subjects: A metaphorical expression denoting all the people under a ruler's dominion, highlighting the diverse yet unified body of the nation.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Vua lo cho sự yên ổn của trăm họ. (The king cared for the peace and stability of the common people.)
  • Thời loạn lạc, trăm họ lầm than. (In times of chaos, the populace suffered in misery.)
  • Ước nguyện của trăm họ là có một mùa màng bội thu. (The wish of the hundred clans was to have a bountiful harvest.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in historical or literary contexts to evoke the image of the ancient Vietnamese populace. It carries a classical, somewhat poetic nuance and is rarely used in modern everyday speech except to create a historical tone.

Variants and Related Words

• Bách tính (n): Another classical term for "the common people" or "the hundred surnames," sharing a very similar meaning and origin with "trăm họ."
• Dân chúng (n): The people, the masses (a more modern and general term).
• Nhân dân (n): The people (a broad, contemporary term).

Synonyms

• The common people
• The populace
• The masses
• The multitude

Related Idioms

• Trăm họ vái tạ: The common people bow in gratitude (depicting widespread public thankfulness).
• While not a fixed idiom, the term often appears in classical phrases contrasting the ruler and the ruled, such as (an enlightened king brings happiness to the common people).