Definition

1. Noun:
   • Exergue, epigraph: A short quotation, phrase, or motto placed at the beginning of a book, chapter, or other work to suggest its theme or set a tone. It is a rare and literary term in Vietnamese.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cuốn tiểu thuyết mở đầu bằng một biểu đề trích từ thơ Tagore. (The novel begins with an epigraph quoted from Tagore's poetry.)
  • Anh ấy rất thích chọn những biểu đề sâu sắc cho các chương sách của mình. (He likes to choose profound epigraphs for the chapters of his book.)

Advanced Usage

• Used in formal/literary contexts: The word "biểu đề" is almost exclusively used in formal, academic, or literary writing to refer to an epigraph. It is not common in everyday conversation.
  • Phần biểu đề của luận án thường trích dẫn một học giả nổi tiếng. (The exergue of a thesis often quotes a famous scholar.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lời đề từ: A more common and general Vietnamese term for "epigraph" or "motto".
  • Lời đề từ ở đầu chương rất ý nghĩa. (The epigraph at the chapter's beginning is very meaningful.)
• Câu trích dẫn mở đầu: A descriptive phrase meaning "introductory quotation".

Synonyms

• Epigraph (n): A quotation at the beginning of a book or chapter.
• Motto (n): A short sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, sometimes used similarly.
• Exergue (n): A technical term, especially in numismatics (for an inscription on a coin) or for an inscription on a monument; used in the reference definition for "biểu đề".

Related Idioms or Phrases

(This term is highly specific and does not commonly form idioms or phrasal verbs.)