Definition

1. Noun:

   • Province: An administrative division of a country, comprising several districts.
   • Town / Provincial Capital: Often used as a shortened form of "tỉnh lỵ," referring to the main town or capital city of a province.

2. Adjective:

   • Conscious / Awake: In a state of being awake, alert, and aware of one's surroundings, not asleep or unconscious.
   • Sober: No longer under the influence of alcohol or drugs; having a clear mind.
   • Clear-headed / Lucid: Being mentally clear, rational, and not confused or deluded.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Việt Nam có 63 tỉnh và thành phố. (Vietnam has 63 provinces and cities.)
  • Gia đình tôi sống ở tỉnh. (My family lives in the [provincial] town.)
• Adjective:
  • Sau cú ngã, cô ấy vẫn tỉnh táo. (After the fall, she remained conscious.)
  • Anh ấy uống cà phê để tỉnh ngủ. (He drinks coffee to wake up.)
  • Đợi cho đến khi anh ấy tỉnh rượu. (Wait until he sobers up.)

Advanced Usage

• "lên tỉnh": to go to the provincial capital/town (often from a rural area).
  • Tuần sau tôi sẽ lên tỉnh để học đại học. (Next week I will go to the provincial town to attend university.)
• "ra tỉnh": to go to town/city (similar to "lên tỉnh").
  • Bà ấy ra tỉnh khám bệnh. (She went to the town/city for a medical examination.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tỉnh lỵ / Tỉnh lẻ (n): Provincial capital; a town that is the administrative seat of a province.
• Tỉnh táo (adj): Alert, vigilant, clear-minded.
  • Lái xe cần phải tỉnh táo. (Drivers need to be alert.)
• Tỉnh ngộ (v): To become enlightened or to come to one's senses (often after a mistake).
  • Cuối cùng nó cũng tỉnh ngộ. (He finally came to his senses.)
• Tỉnh dậy (v): To wake up.
  • Tôi tỉnh dậy lúc 6 giờ sáng. (I wake up at 6 a.m.)

Synonyms

• Noun: Administrative division, region, town, city.
• Adjective: Awake, alert, sober, lucid, conscious.

Related Idioms

• Người tỉnh kẻ quê: City dwellers and country folk; used to contrast urban and rural people.
  • Chợ phiên đông đúc người tỉnh kẻ quê. (The market fair is crowded with city dwellers and country folk.)
• Tỉnh như sáo: To be fully sober and sharp-witted (literally: sober as a myna bird).
  • Dù uống nhiều, anh ấy vẫn tỉnh như sáo. (Even after drinking a lot, he remained sharp as a tack.)

noun

1. province, town

adj

1. conscious awake, aware