án gian

Một án gian được đặt trang trọng trong ngôi đình làng.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Altar table: A piece of furniture, typically a table or a flat-topped structure, used in religious or ceremonial contexts to hold sacred objects, offerings, or ritual items. This is the primary and most common meaning.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trên án gian có đặt bát hương và đĩa hoa quả. (On the altar table, there are incense bowls and a plate of fruit.)
  • Chiếc án gian bằng gỗ được chạm khắc tinh xảo. (The wooden altar table is intricately carved.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is specific to traditional and religious contexts, particularly in Vietnamese ancestor worship, Buddhism, or Taoism. It refers to the main central altar table, often placed in the most respectful position in a house or temple.

Variants and Related Words

• Bàn thờ (n): altar; a more general term for the entire altar structure or shrine, which may include the as its central table.
  • Gia đình tôi vừa mua một bàn thờ mới. (My family just bought a new altar.)

Synonyms

• Altar table
• Sacred table
• Ritual table

Notes on Usage

• "Án gian" is a formal and specific term. In everyday conversation, people might use the more general term "bàn thờ" to refer to the altar area, even when including the table itself.
• It is not used in modern contexts for ordinary tables (e.g., dining table, coffee table). Its use is strictly tied to religious and ceremonial furniture.