Definition

1. Noun:
   • A ritual eulogy or funeral oration: A formal piece of writing, often in literary or parallel prose, recited during a worship ceremony or funeral rite to commemorate, praise, and send off the spirit of the deceased.
   • A ritual invocation: A text used in ceremonial worship to invoke spirits or deities, expressing reverence and conveying the sentiments of the living.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông cụ đọc bài văn tế đầy xúc động trong đám tang. (The old man read a deeply moving funeral oration at the funeral.)
  • Bài văn tế được soạn cẩn thận để cúng tế tổ tiên. (The ritual eulogy was carefully composed to worship the ancestors.)

Advanced Usage

• "Văn tế nghĩa sĩ Cần Giuộc": A famous literary work by Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, eulogizing the peasant-soldiers who fought against the French.
  • "Văn tế nghĩa sĩ Cần Giuộc" là một kiệt tác văn học yêu nước. ("Elegy for the Partisans of Cần Giuộc" is a patriotic literary masterpiece.)

Variants and Related Words

• Điếu văn (n): A eulogy or funeral speech, often similar in function to a but may be less ritualistic and more modern in context.
  • Bài điếu văn do người con trai đọc. (The eulogy was read by the son.)

Synonyms

• Funeral oration: A formal speech delivered at a funeral.
• Elegy: A poem or song of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.
• Lament: A passionate expression of grief or sorrow.

Related Idioms

• While not a standalone idiom, the phrase "đọc văn tế" (to recite a ritual eulogy) describes the specific ceremonial act.
  • Thầy cúng đọc văn tế trong lễ cúng. (The ritual master recited the invocation during the worship ceremony.)