Definition

1. Noun:
   • His Royal Highness, Monsignor: A respectful title used to address or refer to a high-ranking male dignitary, such as a prince, a high-level Catholic prelate (like a bishop), or a revered figure.
   • One's lord and master (humorous): A playful or ironic term used by a wife to refer to her husband, implying he is the "master" of the house.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Đức ông vừa mới đến thăm giáo xứ. (His Royal Highness / Monsignor just visited the parish.)
  • Đức ông chồng tôi đang đọc báo trong phòng khách. (My lord and master [my husband] is reading the newspaper in the living room.) (humorous)

Advanced Usage

• "Ôi, đức ông chồng tôi ơi!": An exclamation a wife might use humorously to call her husband or get his attention, often with a tone of playful exasperation or request.
  • Ôi, đức ông chồng tôi ơi, xuống phụ tôi một tay với! (Oh, my lord and master, come down and give me a hand!)

Variants and Related Words

• Đức Cha: A title for a Bishop in the Catholic Church. (Your Excellency)
• Đức Hồng Y: A title for a Cardinal in the Catholic Church. (Your Eminence)
• Đức Giám Mục: Another term for Bishop. (The Bishop)
• Ông xã: A common, affectionate term for "husband." (Hubby, my husband)

Synonyms

• Monsignor: An honorary title for certain Catholic clergy.
• His Highness: A title for a prince or other high-ranking nobleman.
• Ngài: A formal and respectful pronoun meaning "You" (for a superior) or "He/She" (when referring to a dignitary). (Sir, Madam, His/Her Excellency)

Related Idioms

• Lệnh ông không bằng cồng bà: A proverb meaning "The master's order is not as effective as the mistress's gong." It humorously suggests the wife's practical authority in the house may outweigh the husband's formal title.
  • Anh đừng có ra lệnh, lệnh ông không bằng cồng bà đâu. (Don't you give orders; the master's order is not as effective as the mistress's gong.)

1. His Royal Highness, Monsignor
   • Đức ông chồng (đùa)
     One's lord and master