Definition

Noun: * (Historical) Minor official of a ministry: In the former feudal administrative system, a "tá lý" was a low-ranking official who assisted in the clerical and administrative work of a ministry (Bộ).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông ấy từng giữ chức tá lý ở bộ Lại. (He once held the position of a minor official in the Ministry of Personnel.)
  • Công việc của một tá lý chủ yếu là soạn thảo và quản lý văn thư. (The work of a minor ministry official was mainly drafting and managing documents.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is archaic and is primarily encountered in historical texts, literature, or discussions about Vietnam's feudal administrative structure. It is not used in the context of modern government.

Variants and Related Words

• Thư lại (noun): Another historical term for a clerk or scribe, often with a similar rank and function to "tá lý".
• Quan lại (noun): A general term for the mandarin/official class in feudal times.

Synonyms

• Tiểu lại (noun): Minor clerk/official. (Less common, also historical)
• Thừa phái (noun): A messenger or subordinate official. (Historical, sometimes overlapping in function)

Related Idioms

• Chân *tá lý thân tỳ tướng*: (Idiomatic, historical) Literally "the feet of a minor official, the body of a general's aide". This idiom describes someone who holds a lowly position but has to work as hard and take on responsibilities as if they were in a much higher position. It highlights the disparity between rank and actual duty.
  • Việc gì cũng đổ lên đầu anh ta, đúng là chân tá lý thân tỳ tướng. (Every task is dumped on him; it's truly a case of bearing a general's burdens on a clerk's feet.)

noun

1. (cũ) minor official of a ministry