Questions & Answers about Thưa bác sĩ, tôi mệt.
What does thưa mean here?
Thưa is a polite word used when addressing someone respectfully, especially someone of higher status, older age, or in a formal setting.
In Thưa bác sĩ, tôi mệt, it works a bit like:
- Excuse me, doctor, ...
- Doctor, ... said politely
- Sir/Ma’am, ... in a respectful tone
It does not have a direct one-word English equivalent in every situation. Its main job is to show politeness and respect.
You will often hear it before titles such as:
- thưa bác sĩ — doctor
- thưa cô — teacher / madam
- thưa ông — sir
- thưa bà — madam
Why is bác sĩ placed after thưa?
Because thưa is used directly before the person’s title or form of address.
So the pattern is:
- thưa + title/person addressed
Examples:
- Thưa bác sĩ — Dear doctor / Excuse me, doctor
- Thưa cô — Excuse me, teacher / ma’am
- Thưa ông — Excuse me, sir
This is a very common structure in polite Vietnamese.
Does bác sĩ need a classifier or another word before it?