tế lễ
Definition
Noun:
- Ritual ceremony / worship ceremony: The general term for formal acts of worship, offering, and religious observance, often directed towards deities, ancestors, or spirits.
- Sacrificial rites: Refers specifically to ceremonies that involve making offerings.
Verb:
- To perform a ritual / to conduct a ceremony: The act of carrying out formal worship or sacrificial rites.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- Làng tổ chức tế lễ ở đình. (The village holds a ritual ceremony at the communal house.)
- Tế lễ là một phần quan trọng của văn hóa. (Ritual ceremonies are an important part of the culture.)
Verb:
- Họ tế lễ tổ tiên vào ngày giỗ. (They perform ceremonies for their ancestors on the death anniversary.)
- Người dân tế lễ thần thánh để cầu bình an. (The people conduct rituals to the gods to pray for peace.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "tế lễ" often implies a formal, traditional, and structured ceremony, more elaborate than casual worship (cúng). It is commonly used in the context of community, national, or large family observances.
Variants and Related Words
Cúng tế (v/n): A near-synonym meaning to worship and make offerings; to perform sacrificial rites.
- Cúng tế trời đất. (To worship and make offerings to heaven and earth.)
Tế tự (v/n): A formal and literary term for conducting worship ceremonies, especially for ancestors or gods.
- Tế tự tại các đền miếu. (To worship at temples and shrines.)
Synonyms
- Ceremony: A formal religious or public occasion.
- Rite / Ritual: A set form of ceremony, especially a religious one.
- Worship: The feeling or expression of reverence and adoration.
Related Idioms
- While "tế lễ" itself is not commonly part of idioms, it is central to the concept of "trọng lễ nghĩa" (valuing ritual propriety and righteousness), which underscores the traditional importance of ceremony and proper conduct.