tứ thân

Một phụ nữ mặc áo tứ thân màu nâu đứng trong vườn hoa.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Four-flapped dress: A traditional Vietnamese women's garment, historically common, characterized by its four main flaps or panels of fabric (two in front and two behind).
   • Traditional attire: Refers specifically to the "áo tứ thân," a precursor to the modern "áo dài," often worn by common women in pre-20th century northern Vietnam.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Áo tứ thân là trang phục truyền thống của phụ nữ Việt Nam xưa. (The "áo tứ thân" is a traditional costume of Vietnamese women in the past.)
  • Bảo tàng trưng bày một chiếc áo tứ thân rất đẹp. (The museum displays a very beautiful "áo tứ thân.")

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in historical or cultural contexts to describe traditional fashion.
• It symbolizes the traditional beauty and modesty of Vietnamese women in feudal society.

Variants and Related Words

• Áo tứ thân (n): The full and standard term for the four-flapped dress.
• Áo dài (n): The modern, two-flapped national dress of Vietnam, which evolved from the "áo tứ thân."
• Áo năm thân (n): A later, five-flapped variation of the traditional dress.

Synonyms

• Traditional four-panel dress: A descriptive synonym in English.
• Ancestral robe: A more formal or antiquated translation.

Related Idioms

• There are no common idioms directly using the phrase "tứ thân." The term is primarily a historical and cultural reference.