bốn cõi
Definition
- Noun:
- The four borders/regions; the entire territory: A literary and somewhat archaic Vietnamese term referring to the four cardinal directions or borders of a country, thus symbolizing the entire national territory, all frontiers, or the whole realm. It conveys a sense of the complete, bounded geographical and political domain.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Bình yên bốn cõi. (Peace across all borders / Peace throughout the realm.)
- Vua lo việc bốn cõi. (The king attends to matters of the entire kingdom.)
- Tin tức lan truyền khắp bốn cõi. (The news spread to all four corners of the land.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily used in formal, literary, historical, or poetic contexts. It is not common in everyday modern conversation. It often evokes a classical or imperial sense of the nation.
- It can be used metaphorically to imply "everywhere" within a defined domain, though this is less common.
Variants and Related Words
- Bờ cõi (Noun): Border, frontier, territory. A more common and modern term for territory or domain.
- bảo vệ bờ cõi (to protect the territory)
- Giữ vững bờ cõi (Idiomatic Phrase): To firmly hold/defend the territory.
- Bốn phương (Noun): The four directions; all directions. A similar term meaning "everywhere," often used in phrases like (in all directions).
Synonyms
- Lãnh thổ: Territory.
- Đất nước: Country.
- Biên cương: Frontiers, borders (often in a defensive context).
- Toàn quốc: The whole nation.
Related Idioms/Phrases
- Yên ổn bốn cõi: Stability and peace throughout the land. A formal expression often found in historical or political texts describing a well-governed realm.