Definition

1. Noun:
   • A fairy grotto; a grotto of fairies: A cave or cavern that is considered to be the dwelling place of fairies or is so beautiful and enchanting that it resembles a fairyland. This term is often used in Vietnamese poetry and literature to describe a picturesque, mystical, or ethereal natural cave.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Hang động này đẹp như một động tiên. (This cave is as beautiful as a fairy grotto.)
  • Trong thơ ca, động tiên thường là nơi các tiên nữ sinh sống. (In poetry, a fairy grotto is often where fairies live.)

Advanced Usage

• Used metaphorically: To describe an exceptionally beautiful, serene, or magical natural location.
  • Khu vườn sau mưa trông như một động tiên thu nhỏ. (The garden after the rain looks like a miniature fairy grotto.)

Variants and Related Words

• Động (n): Cave, grotto.
• Tiên (n): Fairy, celestial being.
• Bồng lai tiên cảnh (idiom): A fairyland; a mythical paradise (often used alongside or similarly to "động tiên").

Synonyms

• Thiên đường (n): Paradise, heaven (a more general term for an idyllic place).
• Chốn thần tiên (n): Fairyland, enchanted place.

Related Idioms

• Động tiên bồng lai: A poetic compound meaning "the fairy grottoes and the Penglai paradise," used to describe a supremely beautiful and otherworldly scenic place.
  • Phong cảnh nơi đây quả thực là động tiên bồng lai. (The scenery here is truly a fairy grotto and paradise.)

1. Grotto of fairies