Definition

1. Noun:
   • The light of the setting sun; the glow of the late afternoon sun: This term refers specifically to the sunlight during the late afternoon, just before sunset, often with a warm, slanted quality.
   • (Literary, somewhat archaic) Evening, dusk: In classical and poetic Vietnamese, "bóng tà" can evoke the time of day when the sun is setting.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong bóng tà, cảnh vật trở nên thật yên bình. (In the glow of the setting sun, the scenery becomes very peaceful.)
  • Ánh bóng tà chiếu xuyên qua kẽ lá. (The rays of the late afternoon sun shone through the gaps in the leaves.)
  • Thơ ca cổ điển thường nhắc đến bóng tà. (Classical poetry often mentions the dusk.)

Advanced Usage

• This word is primarily used in literary, descriptive, or poetic contexts. It is less common in everyday modern conversation, where "ánh hoàng hôn" (sunset light) or "chiều tà" might be used.
• It often carries a melancholic, reflective, or nostalgic connotation, describing the end of a day or, metaphorically, the end of an era or life.

Variants and Related Words

• Hoàng hôn (n): Sunset, dusk. (A more common, modern term for the time of day.)
• Chiều tà (n): Late afternoon/evening. (A phrase meaning "late afternoon," often used similarly in literature.)
• Nắng xiên / Ánh nắng xiên (n): Slanted sunlight. (Describes the angle of the sun's rays in the late afternoon.)

Synonyms

• Ánh chiều tà: Evening light.
• Ánh hoàng hôn: Sunset glow.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Bóng tà dương": A more classical variant with the same meaning (the light of the setting sun).
• The word often appears in fixed poetic phrases like "bóng tà đổ dốc" (the slanted shadow falls steeply) to emphasize the late hour.