Definition

1. Noun:
   • Bourgeois: A member of the middle class, especially one perceived as being preoccupied with material wealth, conventional respectability, and social status. This term often carries a critical or negative connotation, implying a focus on possessions and appearances over intellectual or artistic values.
   • The Wealthy / The Well-to-Do (in a feudal context): A person of substantial wealth and property in a traditional, feudal society. This meaning emphasizes social and economic standing rather than the specific cultural critique of the modern "bourgeois."

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Lối sống của tầng lớp trưởng giả thường bị chỉ trích là giả tạo. (The lifestyle of the bourgeois class is often criticized as being artificial.)
  • Ngôi nhà đó thể hiện đầy đủ gu thẩm mỹ trưởng giả. (That house fully represents a bourgeois aesthetic.)
  • Trong xã hội phong kiến, giới trưởng giả có nhiều đặc quyền. (In feudal society, the well-to-do class had many privileges.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in sociological, literary, or critical discussions to describe a specific social class and its associated values. It is rarely used in neutral, everyday conversation to simply mean "a rich person."

Variants and Related Words

• Tư sản (n): Bourgeoisie (as a class). This is a more direct and modern political-economic term for the capitalist class.
• Tiểu tư sản (n): Petite bourgeoisie. Refers to the lower middle class (e.g., shopkeepers, white-collar workers).

Synonyms

• Bourgeois
• Middle-class (though this is more neutral; is more critical)
• The well-to-do
• The propertied class

Related Concepts and Phrases

• Tâm lý trưởng giả: A bourgeois mentality or mindset; an attitude focused on material security, social conformity, and conventional success.
  • Anh ta có một tâm lý trưởng giả điển hình. (He has a typical bourgeois mentality.)
• Thành kiến trưởng giả: Bourgeois prejudices. Refers to the conventional, often conservative, opinions and judgments associated with this class.
  • Bà ấy không thể thoát khỏi những thành kiến trưởng giả. (She cannot escape her bourgeois prejudices.)