tỳ thiếp
Definition
- Noun:
- Concubine: A woman who lives with and is in a sexual relationship with a man but is not his legal wife, especially in historical contexts of polygamous societies like feudal Vietnam or China.
- Maidservant and concubine: In classical usage, the term can refer collectively to female servants and secondary wives or consorts within a wealthy or noble household.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Trong xã hội phong kiến, các quan lại thường có nhiều tỳ thiếp. (In feudal society, mandarins often had many concubines.)
- Số phận của một người tỳ thiếp thường rất lệ thuộc. (The fate of a concubine was often very dependent.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "tỳ thiếp" is almost exclusively used in historical or literary contexts to describe the social and familial structures of pre-modern East Asia. It is not used in contemporary settings to describe modern relationships.
Variants and Related Words
- Thiếp (n): A more general, classical term for a concubine or secondary wife.
- Tỳ nữ (n): A maidservant, specifically a female attendant.
- Vợ lẽ (n): A colloquial term for a concubine or secondary wife.
Synonyms
- Concubine: A secondary wife, especially in polygamous societies.
- Secondary wife: A wife of lower status than the principal wife.
- Consort: A wife, companion, or partner, often used for spouses of lower rank in historical contexts.
Related Idioms
- Làm tỳ làm thiếp: To be in a subservient position, to serve as a maid or concubine. This idiom emphasizes a state of servitude and low social status.
- Cô ấy không muốn cả đời làm tỳ làm thiếp cho người ta. (She did not want to spend her whole life serving others as a maid or concubine.)