vũ công

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • Dancer: A person whose profession or art is performing dances. This is the modern and most common meaning.
    • Martial arts feat / Military exploit (Archaic): An older, literary meaning referring to an achievement in martial arts or on the battlefield. This usage is now rare.
Usage Examples
  • Noun (Modern):
    • Cô ấy là một vũ công ballet tài năng. (She is a talented ballet dancer.)
    • Những vũ công trình diễn rất điêu luyện. (The dancers performed very skillfully.)
  • Noun (Archaic):
    • Truyện cổ thường kể về các vũ công của anh hùng. (Ancient stories often tell of the martial exploits of heroes.)
Advanced Usage
  • The word can be used in a compound form "vũ công đường phố" meaning "street dancer."
    • Nhóm vũ công đường phố thu hút rất đông khán giả. (The group of street dancers attracted a large audience.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Vũ công ba lê (n): Ballet dancer.
  • Vũ công múa đương đại (n): Contemporary dancer.
  • Diễn viên múa (n): A more general term for dance performer, often used interchangeably with "vũ công."
Synonyms
  • Dancer: A person who dances.
  • Performer: One who performs for an audience (broader term).
Notes on Usage
  • In contemporary Vietnamese, "vũ công" almost exclusively means "dancer." The archaic meaning related to martial arts ("võ công") is homophonous but uses a different character for "võ" (武 - martial) versus "vũ" (舞 - dance). This distinction is primarily in writing; in speech, context clarifies the meaning. The reference to "faits d'armes" (military deeds) corresponds to the archaic "võ công."