trần gian

Vietnamese

Etymology

    Sino-Vietnamese word from 塵間, composed of (dust; filth) and (realm; domain).

    Pronunciation

    • (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [t͡ɕən˨˩ zaːn˧˧]
    • (Huế) IPA(key): [ʈəŋ˦˩ jaːŋ˧˧]
    • (Saigon) IPA(key): [ʈəŋ˨˩ jaːŋ˧˧]

    Noun

    trần gian

    1. (literary) the world of mortals, as opposed to the world of the dead underneath and the world of the gods above
      Synonyms: trần thế, cõi đời, cõi trần, hạ giới
      địa ngục trần gianhell on earth
      • 1921, Tản Đà, Hầu Trời [Serving the Heavenly Lord]:
        - “Bẩm Trời, cảnh con thực nghèo khó
        Trần gian thước đất cũng không có
        - My Lord, I'm living in poverty
        I barely have any land in the mortal realm

    See also