Definition

1. Adverbial phrase:
   • From the past until now / Always: Used to describe a situation, characteristic, or truth that has existed continuously from ancient times up to the present moment.

Usage Examples

• Adverbial phrase:
  • Xưa nay người Việt rất coi trọng gia đình. (Vietnamese people have always placed great importance on family.)
  • Đó là một nguyên tắc xưa nay vẫn thế. (That is a principle that has held true from the past until now.)
  • Xưa nay tôi chưa từng thấy điều tương tự. (I have never seen anything similar, ever.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to introduce a general, timeless statement or observation about a longstanding tradition or universal truth.
  • Xưa nay, lòng tham là nguyên nhân của nhiều cuộc chiến. (From time immemorial, greed has been the cause of many wars.)

Variants and Related Words

• Từ xưa đến nay: This is a more explicit, full-form synonym meaning "from the past until now."
  • Từ xưa đến nay, đây vẫn là một phong tục đẹp. (From the past until now, this has remained a beautiful tradition.)

Synonyms

• Always: at all times; on all occasions.
• Traditionally: according to tradition; in a way that is long-established.
• Since time immemorial: for a very long time, since the distant past.

Related Idioms

• Xưa nay hiếm: A set phrase meaning "rare, now and in the past" or "unprecedented." It is used to praise something or someone as exceptionally good and seldom seen.
  • Tài năng của cô ấy thật là xưa nay hiếm. (Her talent is truly rare and exceptional.)