thượng tướng

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 上將, composed of 上 (“upper”) and 將 (“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

• đô đốc