ông ngoại
Definition
- Noun:
- Maternal grandfather: The father of one's mother. This is the primary and most common meaning of the word.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ông ngoại tôi năm nay 80 tuổi. (My maternal grandfather is 80 years old this year.)
- Tôi rất yêu quý ông ngoại. (I love my maternal grandfather very much.)
- Cuối tuần, chúng tôi sẽ về thăm ông ngoại. (This weekend, we will visit our maternal grandfather.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "ông ngoại" is part of a specific kinship terminology system in Vietnamese that distinguishes between the paternal and maternal lines. It is used in formal, informal, and familial contexts to refer specifically to the mother's father.
Variants and Related Words
Bà ngoại (n): Maternal grandmother. The mother of one's mother.
- Tôi thích nghe bà ngoại kể chuyện. (I like listening to my maternal grandmother tell stories.)
Ông nội (n): Paternal grandfather. The father of one's father.
- Ông nội dạy tôi cách chăm sóc cây. (My paternal grandfather taught me how to care for plants.)
Synonyms
- Grandfather (maternal): The father of one's mother.
- Grandpa (maternal): An informal term for maternal grandfather.
Related Cultural Context
- In Vietnamese culture, the distinction between "ông nội" (paternal grandfather) and "ông ngoại" (maternal grandfather) is important for understanding family structure, lineage, and traditional roles. Both are respected figures, but they belong to different family branches ("nội" for the father's side, "ngoại" for the mother's side).