tuổi mụ
Definition
- Noun:
- Mụ age: The traditional Vietnamese method of calculating an infant's age, counting the time from the actual birth date until the end of the lunar calendar year of birth. A child is considered one tuổi mụ at the end of that lunar year, making this age typically one to two years older than the Western chronological age.
- First year of life: Refers specifically to the period encompassing a baby's first lunar year from birth.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Đứa bé mới sinh đã được tính là một tuổi mụ. (A newborn baby is already counted as one in tuổi mụ.)
- Theo tuổi mụ, con tôi đã hai tuổi, nhưng thực tế nó mới được sáu tháng. (According to tuổi mụ, my child is two years old, but in reality, he is only six months old.)
Advanced Usage
- The concept is deeply rooted in traditional East Asian age-reckoning, where time spent in the womb is often symbolically counted, and a person gains a year at the Lunar New Year (Tết). is primarily used for infants and young children in traditional contexts.
Variants and Related Words
Tuổi ta (n): Vietnamese age, synonymous with tuổi mụ, referring to the traditional age system.
- Ở quê, bà ngoại vẫn hay hỏi cháu bao nhiêu tuổi ta. (In the countryside, grandma still asks how old the child is in tuổi ta.)
Tuổi Tây (n): Western age, referring to the international system of counting age from birthday to birthday.
- Đi khám bác sĩ thì phải ghi tuổi Tây cho chính xác. (When seeing a doctor, you must record the Western age for accuracy.)
Synonyms
- Lunar age: Age reckoned according to the lunar new year.
Related Cultural Notes
- Làm tuổi mụ / Ăn tuổi mụ: A celebration held for a baby when they reach their first (i.e., their first Lunar New Year). This is an important milestone, often marked with a family gathering and rituals for good health and fortune.
- Gia đình tổ chức ăn tuổi mụ cho cháu vào dịp Tết. (The family held a tuổi mụ celebration for the baby during Tet.)