thượng tướng

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 上將, composed of (upper) and (general). Compare Mandarin 上將 / 上将 (shàngjiàng, three-star general) and North Korean 상장 (sangjang, three-star colonel general).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

thượng tướng

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

See also