đời xưa
Definition
Noun:
- Ancient times / olden days: Refers to a period in the distant past, often with a historical, legendary, or traditional connotation. It evokes an era before the present, characterized by different customs, ways of life, or historical events.
Adverbial Noun (used as an adverb):
- In ancient times / in the old days: Used to describe when something happened or existed during that bygone era.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- Truyền thuyết này bắt nguồn từ đời xưa. (This legend originates from ancient times.)
- Phong tục đời xưa khác với bây giờ. (The customs of the olden days are different from now.)
Adverbial Noun:
- Đời xưa, người ta thường đi lại bằng ngựa. (In ancient times, people often traveled by horse.)
- Đời xưa đã có những vị vua anh minh. (In the old days, there were wise kings.)
Advanced Usage
"chuyện đời xưa": a tale/story from ancient times; an old tale.
- Bà tôi thường kể những chuyện đời xưa. (My grandmother often told tales from the olden days.)
"theo lệ đời xưa": according to the customs/traditions of old.
- Lễ cưới được tổ chức theo lệ đời xưa. (The wedding was organized according to ancient traditions.)
Variants and Related Words
Ngày xưa (n): Former days, the past. Often used interchangeably with "đời xưa" but can feel slightly less formal or more narrative.
- Ngày xưa có một ông vua. (Once upon a time, there was a king.)
Thời xưa (n): Ancient era, old times. Very similar in meaning, emphasizing a historical period.
- Kiến trúc thời xưa rất độc đáo. (The architecture of the ancient era is very unique.)
Synonyms
- Ancient times: The distant past.
- Olden days: A period long ago.
- Antiquity: The ancient past, especially before the Middle Ages.
- Yore (literary): Time long past.
Related Idioms
- "Chuyện đời xưa tích cũ": Stories and tales from antiquity; refers to very old, traditional narratives.
- Cuốn sách này ghi lại toàn chuyện đời xưa tích cũ. (This book records nothing but stories and tales from antiquity.)