ông già Noel
The English phrase 'santa' is translated into Vietnamese as ông già Noel.
ông già Noel refers to the legendary figure who brings gifts to children on Christmas Eve. This term is used almost exclusively during the Christmas season in Vietnam.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ông (grandfather/old man), già (old) and Noel (the French/Western name for Christmas/Noel).
Did you know?
- The term ông già Noel literally translates to 'grandfather old Noel', which is redundant since both ông and già emphasize old age.
- In Vietnam, ông già Noel is often seen in commercial displays and malls even by people who do not practice Christianity.
- The word già comes from a Proto-Mon-Khmer root, making it a native Southeast Asian word rather than a loan from Chinese.
Examples in context
- Ông già Noel có thật.Santa Claus exists.This sentence is useful for stating that ông già Noel exists.Tatoeba #13340815 by leucammieuvu, translation #6042711 by mailohilohi
- Ông già Noel gầy hay béo?Is Santa Claus thin or fat?This sentence is useful for asking if ông già Noel is thin or fat.Tatoeba #14028702 by leucammieuvu, translation #8997050 by Analu_Kalaka
- Tôi đã thấy ông già Noel.I saw Santa Claus.This sentence is useful for saying that you saw ông già Noel.Tatoeba #14034674 by leucammieuvu, translation #14034662 by carlosalberto
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tuấn and Mai are decorating the living room for Christmas.
- TuấnMai ơi, mình treo tất cho ông già Noel nhé.Mai, let's hang up the stockings for Santa.
- MaiVâng, em sẽ treo chúng cạnh cửa sổ.Yes, I will hang them by the window.
- TuấnLiệu ông già Noel có tặng quà cho mình không?I wonder if Santa will give us presents?
- MaiChắc chắn là có rồi, anh Tuấn!Of course he will, Tuấn!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Noel, già, ông, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
