Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • The Kitchen God: In Vietnamese folk belief, Ông Táo is the deity who oversees the kitchen and family hearth. He is believed to observe the household's affairs throughout the year and report to the Jade Emperor annually.
   • The Lares: A term used in some translations, drawing a parallel to the household gods in ancient Roman religion.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • Gia đình tôi làm lễ tiễn ông Táo về trời vào ngày 23 tháng Chạp. (My family holds a ceremony to send the Kitchen God to heaven on the 23rd day of the last lunar month.)
  • Theo truyền thống, người ta cúng ông Táo bằng cá chép sống. (Traditionally, people offer live carp to the Kitchen God.)

Advanced Usage

• "đưa ông Táo" / "tiễn ông Táo": to send off the Kitchen God (referring to the ceremony held for his annual ascent to heaven).

  • Cả nhà cùng nhau đưa ông Táo. (The whole family together sends off the Kitchen God.)

• "ông Táo về trời": the Kitchen God returns to heaven (the central event of the related festival).

  • Lễ cúng ông Táo về trời rất quan trọng. (The offering ceremony for the Kitchen God's return to heaven is very important.)

Variants and Related Words

• Táo Quân (n): Another name for the Kitchen God, often used in a more formal or literary context.

  • Táo Quân còn được gọi là "Vua Bếp". (Táo Quân is also called the "Kitchen King".)

• Thần Bếp (n): Literally "Kitchen Deity", a synonym for Ông Táo.

• Ông Công (n): A common alternate name, sometimes considered part of a trio (Ông Táo, Ông Công, Ông Địa) or used interchangeably.

Synonyms

• Kitchen Deity: The deity of the kitchen.
• Hearth God: A deity associated with the domestic hearth and home.

Related Phrases

• Ngày ông Táo: The Day of the Kitchen God (the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month).
  • Ngày ông Táo là một ngày lễ quan trọng. (The Day of the Kitchen God is an important holiday.)

Related Idioms

• (Nói) để ông Táo nghe / (Nói) cho ông Táo biết: To say something for the Kitchen God to hear; to make a statement intended as a report or justification for one's actions, often said humorously or sarcastically.
  • Anh nói thế để ông Táo nghe thôi, chứ ai tin. (You're just saying that for the Kitchen God's report, no one believes it.)

1. The Lares, Kitchen God