tục tử
Definition
- Adjective:
- Philistine, vulgar, coarse: Describes a person, behavior, or attitude that is crude, lacking in refinement, culture, or higher sensibilities. It emphasizes a focus on the mundane and material over the intellectual or aesthetic.
- Common, lowly, base: Refers to something or someone considered ordinary in a negative sense, of low moral or cultural standing.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Hắn là một kẻ tục tử, chỉ biết đến tiền bạc. (He is a philistine, only caring about money.)
- Lối sống tục tử ấy không được hoan nghênh trong giới trí thức. (That vulgar lifestyle is not welcomed in intellectual circles.)
- Những suy nghĩ tục tử không thể hiểu được giá trị của nghệ thuật. (Base thoughts cannot understand the value of art.)
Advanced Usage
- This term is considered literary and somewhat archaic in modern Vietnamese. It is used for strong, critical judgment, often in formal writing or speech to condemn a lack of sophistication or moral elevation.
Variants and Related Words
Tục tằn (adj): Vulgar, rude, obscene. Often refers to crude language or behavior.
- Anh ta chửi bậy những lời tục tằn. (He swore with vulgar words.)
Thô tục (adj): Crude, coarse, unrefined. Similar in meaning but more commonly used than "tục tử."
- Hành vi thô tục nơi công cộng là không thể chấp nhận. (Crude behavior in public is unacceptable.)
Synonyms
- Philistine: A person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts.
- Vulgar: Lacking sophistication or good taste.
- Coarse: Rough or harsh in texture or manner.
- Base: Without moral principles; ignoble.
Related Idioms
- Con mắt tục tử: A philistine's eye; a perspective that is mundane and incapable of appreciating beauty or depth.
- Với con mắt tục tử, bức tranh ấy chẳng có giá trị gì. (Through a philistine's eye, that painting has no value.)