đại tướng

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 大將, composed of 大 (“grand”) and 將 (“general”). Compare Korean 대장 (daejang, “four-star general”) and Japanese 大将 (taishō, “three-star general”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɗaːj˧˨ʔ tɨəŋ˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɗaːj˨˩ʔ tɨəŋ˦˧˥]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔɗaːj˨˩˨ tɨəŋ˦˥]

Noun

đại tướng

1. (military, of an army or ground force) a general

Usage notes

• Regarding the Vietnam People's Army, there is only one đại tướng, with a four-star insignia, making him the de facto "general of the army". Other "generals" are only three-star, and entitled thượng tướng (“colonel general”) instead.