tổ sư
Definition
- Noun:
- Founding Patriarch / Ancestral Master: The revered founder or earliest known master of a profession, craft, religion, or school of thought. This term carries deep respect and implies a figure of great authority and origin.
- Ancestor (in curses): Used in imprecations or curses to invoke misfortune upon someone's lineage (e.g., "your ancestors").
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ông Lỗ Ban được coi là tổ sư của nghề mộc. (Lu Ban is considered the founding patriarch of carpentry.)
- Đức Phật Thích Ca là tổ sư của đạo Phật. (Shakyamuni Buddha is the ancestral master of Buddhism.)
- Đồ tổ sư mày! (A curse roughly meaning "Your damned ancestors!")
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in formal or traditional contexts to show the highest level of respect for an originator. It is more specific and honorific than the general word for "founder" ("người sáng lập").
Variants and Related Words
- Tổ nghề (n): A more common and slightly less formal term for the founder of a specific trade or profession.
- Tổ nghề may là bà Nguyễn Thị Sen. (The founder of the tailoring trade is Lady Nguyễn Thị Sen.)
- Sư tổ (n): A term used primarily within specific lineages, especially in martial arts or religious sects, to refer to the master who founded one's own school or branch.
Synonyms
- Founder
- Patriarch
- Originator
- Progenitor (of a skill or tradition)
Related Idioms
- Không biết tổ sư là ai: An idiom meaning "to not know who is the boss" or "to not respect one's superiors/origins."
- Thằng đó hỗn xược, không biết tổ sư là ai. (That guy is insolent and doesn't know who's in charge / who he's dealing with.)