thư sinh
[tʰɨ˧˧ sïŋ˧˧]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
(noun) a male student who studied Chinese characters and scriptures and who was typically poor and frail
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Sources & notes
Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗
Sense 2
Meaning · English
(adjective) attractively pale and slender like the stereotypical image of a Sinology student of old
Examples
dáng/tướng thư sinhthe gait of a slender guy
— Quê anh thuộc huyện nào? Nàng tiên áo nâu đột nhiên hỏi. Hiện anh làm nghề gì? Trông anh có vẻ thư sinh quá đi!
— Thưa… cô, tôi là học trò. Rất thành thật, tôi đáp. Gặp thời tao loạn nên đã "xếp bút nghiên theo việc đao cung" như tất cả mọi người. Thế còn ni cô?“Where are you from?” the angel clad in brown suddenly asked, “What do you do? You have that distinct slender look of a student!”
“Yes,… madam, I am indeed a student” I answered truthfully, “Since it is the time of chaos, I’ve ‘put away my brush and picked up my sword’ like everyone else. What about
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Common questions
What does “thư sinh” mean?
(noun) a male student who studied Chinese characters and scriptures and who was typically poor and frail
Is “thư sinh” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.