tử tức
Definition
- Noun:
- Children; offspring; progeny: An archaic or literary term referring to one's descendants, specifically sons and daughters. It emphasizes the lineage and continuation of a family.
Usage Examples
- (He lacks offspring / has few children.)
- (That family's line of descendants is still very sparse.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily used in formal, literary, or historical contexts. In modern everyday Vietnamese, words like "con cái" are more common.
- It often appears in fixed phrases like "đường tử tức" (the path of descendants), referring to the family line or lineage.
Variants and Related Words
- Con cái (n): The standard modern term for children.
- Hậu duệ (n): Descendants, posterity (often used for later generations over a long span of time).
- Tử tôn (n): A similarly archaic term for descendants and future generations.
Synonyms
- Offspring
- Progeny
- Descendants (in the sense of immediate children)
Notes on Usage
- Register: This is an archaic word. Learners should understand it when encountered in classical literature, formal writing, or historical contexts but should use "con cái" for everyday communication.
- Connotation: It carries a formal and sometimes solemn tone, related to family legacy and continuity.