Chín trời
Definition
Noun:
- The Nine Heavens: A classical and literary concept referring to the nine divisions or regions of the sky/heavens in ancient Sino-Vietnamese cosmology and philosophy. It represents the vast, all-encompassing expanse of the universe or the celestial sphere.
Noun (figurative usage):
- A great distance or immense height: Used poetically or idiomatically to describe something that is extremely far away, exceedingly high, or beyond ordinary reach.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Trong văn học cổ, "chín trời" là một khái niệm thiên văn và triết học. (In ancient literature, "the nine heavens" is an astronomical and philosophical concept.)
- Tiếng kêu thấu tận chín trời. (The cry reached all the way to the nine heavens.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily found in classical poetry, philosophical texts, and idiomatic expressions to evoke a sense of grandeur, vastness, or extreme remoteness.
Variants and Related Words
- Cửu thiên: (Sino-Vietnamese noun) A direct synonym meaning "the nine heavens."
- Chín tầng mây: (Noun phrase) "The nine layers of clouds," a similar poetic expression for the high heavens.
Synonyms
- The firmament: the heavens or sky, especially when regarded as a vault.
- The celestial sphere: the imaginary sphere of the heavens.
- The zenith: (in figurative use) the highest point.
Related Idioms
- Thấu chín trời: (Verb phrase) To penetrate the nine heavens; meaning something (like a sound or an injustice) is so great it reaches the highest heavens.
- Nỗi oan ấy thấu tận chín trời. (That grievance reaches all the way to the nine heavens.)
- Cao chín trời: (Adjective phrase) Extremely high, sky-high.
- Giá cả cao chín trời. (Prices are sky-high.)