tướng quốc
Definition
- Noun:
- Chancellor / Prime Minister (historical): The highest-ranking official in the royal court of a Vietnamese monarchy, serving as the chief administrator and principal advisor to the king. This title denotes the head of the civil bureaucracy.
- Grand Councillor: A term for a senior statesman holding supreme executive power under the monarch.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Trần Thủ Độ là một tướng quốc quyền lực dưới triều nhà Trần. (Trần Thủ Độ was a powerful chancellor under the Trần dynasty.)
- Vua Lý phong cho ông ấy chức tướng quốc. (The Lý king appointed him to the position of prime minister.)
- Quyết định cuối cùng thuộc về nhà vua và tướng quốc. (The final decision belonged to the king and the grand councillor.)
Advanced Usage
- The title "tướng quốc" is specific to pre-modern Vietnamese feudal governments and is not used for contemporary political positions. Its power and influence varied greatly depending on the historical period and the individual's relationship with the monarch.
Variants and Related Words
- Tể tướng (n): A direct synonym for "tướng quốc," also meaning chancellor or prime minister in a historical context.
- Quan đại thần (n): A high-ranking mandarin or senior court official.
- Thừa tướng (n): Another historical term for chancellor, often used in classical literature.
Synonyms
- Chancellor: A senior state official, typically heading the government or a department.
- Prime Minister (historical): The chief minister of a sovereign.
- Grand Vizier: A term from other monarchies, analogous in function.
Related Idioms
- "Làm tướng quốc, gánh giang sơn": To be a chancellor is to bear the weight of the nation. This idiom describes the immense responsibility of the position.
- Chức vụ ấy không dễ, đúng là làm tướng quốc, gánh giang sơn. (That position is not easy; it truly is like being a chancellor who bears the nation's weight.)