xa-lông
Definition
- Noun:
- Living room: A room in a house or apartment used for general relaxation and social activities, often where guests are received.
- A set of living room furniture: Specifically refers to a sofa set or suite of upholstered furniture (e.g., a couch and matching armchairs) designed for a living room.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Cả gia đình ngồi nói chuyện trong xa-lông. (The whole family sits and talks in the living room.)
- Họ vừa mua một bộ xa-lông da mới. (They just bought a new leather sofa set.)
- Căn hộ có một xa-lông rộng rãi. (The apartment has a spacious living room.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "xa-lông" is a loanword from French (). In modern Vietnamese, it is less commonly used for the room itself, with "phòng khách" being more standard. Its primary contemporary use is to refer to the furniture suite.
- It can sometimes be found in older texts or in certain contexts to denote a formal sitting room or parlor.
Variants and Related Words
- Phòng khách (n): The more common and modern term for "living room."
- Phòng khách nhà tôi rất sáng. (My house's living room is very bright.)
- Ghế sofa (n): A single sofa or couch. This term is often used interchangeably with "xa-lông" for the furniture item.
- Chiếc ghế sofa này rất êm. (This sofa chair is very soft.)
Synonyms
- Living room: For the room (though "phòng khách" is a closer synonym).
- Sofa set: For the furniture.
- Sitting room: A more formal term for the living area.
- Parlor: An older term for a formal reception room.
Related Idioms
- Chuyện xa-lông: Salon talk; refers to light, sophisticated conversation typical of a social gathering in a living room.
- Đó chỉ là chuyện xa-lông, đừng lo lắng. (That's just salon talk, don't worry about it.)