Definition

1. Noun:
   • Weapons and soldiers; military force; armed conflict: Refers collectively to soldiers and their weapons, symbolizing warfare or military might. This term is literary and often used in historical or formal contexts.
   • A specific type of ancient weapon: In some contexts, it can refer to a particular kind of blade or polearm used historically.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Thời kỳ đó loạn lạc, đao binh khắp nơi. (That era was chaotic, with armed conflict everywhere.)
  • Âm thanh đao binh vang lên từ chiến trường. (The sound of clashing weapons rose from the battlefield.)
  • Họ phải đối mặt với một lực lượng đao binh hùng mạnh. (They had to face a powerful military force.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "đao binh" is often used in classical Vietnamese literature, poetry, and historical narratives to evoke imagery of war. It carries a more dramatic and formal tone than modern words for war like "chiến tranh."

Variants and Related Words

• Binh đao (n): This is a direct variant with the same meaning (weapons and soldiers; warfare). The words are interchangeable.
  • Binh đao nổi lên khắp nước. (Warfare broke out across the country.)
• Đao kiếm (n): swords and knives; generally refers to weapons.
• Binh lính (n): soldiers; troops (without the explicit "weapons" connotation).

Synonyms

• Armed forces: Military organizations.
• Warfare: The waging of war.
• Military might: The strength of a military.

Related Idioms

• Đao binh tương kiến: (Literally: weapons and soldiers meet) Refers to the outbreak of armed conflict or a violent confrontation.
  • Hai nước không muốn đao binh tương kiến. (The two countries do not wish for armed conflict to break out.)

1. như binh đao