Definition

1. Noun:
   • Epitaph: A short text, often inscribed on a tombstone or monument, that commemorates a deceased person. It typically summarizes their life, achievements, or expresses a sentiment in their memory.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trên bia mộ khắc một dòng bi kí giản dị. (A simple epitaph is engraved on the tombstone.)
  • Bi kí của nhà thơ đó rất cảm động. (That poet's epitaph is very moving.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "bi kí" is a Sino-Vietnamese compound word (碑記), where "bi" (碑) means "stele" or "tablet" and "kí" (記) means "record" or "inscription." It is a formal, literary term specifically for an inscribed commemorative text.

Variants and Related Words

• Văn bia (n): A stele inscription; a broader term for any text carved on a stone stele, which may include historical records, not just epitaphs.
  • Văn bia ở Văn Miếu ghi lại lịch sử khoa cử. (The stele inscriptions at the Temple of Literature record the history of imperial examinations.)

Synonyms

• Epitaph: A phrase or statement written in memory of a person who has died, especially on a tombstone.
• Commemorative inscription: A written text carved or cast to honor and remember.

Related Idioms

• While there is no direct idiom using "bi kí," the concept is related to the proverb:
  • "Sống gửi thác về": Literally "to live as a guest, to die is to return home," reflecting a philosophical view on life and death often contemplated in epitaphs.