áo mão

Ông quan mặc áo mão đứng trong điện.

Definition

1. Noun (Archaic, often ironic):
   • Official robes and hat: Refers to the formal, ceremonial attire and headgear worn by high-ranking mandarins or officials in historical Vietnamese feudal courts.
   • Trappings of office / Regalia: Symbolizes the official position, rank, and its associated formal appearance, often used to imply empty formalism or pretentiousness.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông ấy lên chức, được ban áo mão chỉnh tề. (He was promoted and bestowed with full official regalia.)
  • Anh ta thích khoe khoang cái áo mão chức tước của mình. (He likes to show off the trappings of his official title.)
  • Chỉ có áo mão bề ngoài, thực lực chẳng có gì. (It's just an impressive exterior [lit. robes and hat], with no real substance.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is rarely used in a purely neutral or positive historical context today. Its modern usage is almost exclusively satirical or critical, used to mock someone who is overly proud of their title, position, or superficial status symbols.
  • Hắn tưởng mình áo mão xênh xang, ai ngờ dân chẳng nể trọng. (He thought he was grand in his official robes; who would have thought the people don't respect him.)

Variants and Related Words

• Áo mũ (n): A more common, less formal variant with the same core meaning of clothing and hat, sometimes used interchangeably with "áo mão" in modern ironic usage.
• Mũ áo (n): Another variant with reversed word order, emphasizing the attire.

Synonyms

• Regalia: The emblems or insignia of royalty or high office.
• Trappings: The outward signs, features, or objects associated with a particular situation, role, or job (often implying they are superficial).
• Finery: Showy or elegant clothing and decoration.

Related Idioms and Expressions

• Lênh đênh áo mão: To be vain or pompous about one's official position.
  • Con người lênh đênh áo mão ấy chẳng làm được việc gì thực chất. (That pompous man, obsessed with his title, doesn't accomplish anything of substance.)
• Khoe áo mão: To boast about one's rank or title.
  • Anh đừng chỉ biết khoe áo mão với mọi người. (You shouldn't just know how to boast about your title to everyone.)