xích thằng
Definition
- Noun (Literary, Archaic):
- The red thread of fate; the silken cord of marriage: A symbolic thread or cord, often depicted as red, that is said to invisibly bind two people who are destined to be married or to share a deep, fated connection. This concept originates from East Asian folklore.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Theo truyền thuyết, ông Tơ bà Nguyệt dùng xích thằng để se duyên vợ chồng. (According to legend, the Old Man of the Moon and the Matchmaking Goddess use the red thread of fate to bind couples in marriage.)
- Họ tin rằng xích thằng đã buộc họ lại với nhau từ kiếp trước. (They believe the silken cord of marriage had tied them together from a previous life.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is almost exclusively used in a poetic, literary, or proverbial context to describe predestined love or marriage. It is not used in everyday modern conversation.
Variants and Related Words
- Chỉ hồng (n): Another literary term for "the red thread," sharing the same meaning as .
- Chỉ hồng đã định, không thể thay đổi. (The red thread is predestined and cannot be changed.)
- Sợi chỉ đỏ (n): A more modern, direct translation meaning "the red thread," often used to describe a connecting theme or fate.
- Sợi chỉ đỏ của số phận. (The red thread of destiny.)
Synonyms
- Bond of marriage: A tie that unites a married couple.
- Thread of fate: An invisible force believed to determine events, especially in relationships.
Related Idioms and Cultural References
- Ông Tơ, bà Nguyệt: The celestial matchmakers in Vietnamese folklore (analogous to Yue Xia Lao in Chinese mythology) who are said to tie the around the ankles of those destined to marry.
- Nhờ ơn ông Tơ bà Nguyệt xe xích thằng. (Thanks to the Old Man and Goddess who tied the marriage thread.)
- Se duyên: To act as a matchmaker; to create a marital bond.
- Trời se duyên cho đôi trẻ. (Heaven forged the bond for the young couple.)