Definition

1. Noun:
   • Essay (archaic/literary): "Cảo luận" refers to a short piece of writing on a particular subject, expressing the author's personal views and analysis. This term is now considered archaic or literary in modern Vietnamese.

Usage

• The word "cảo luận" is a literary and historical term. In contemporary usage, the word "tiểu luận" is the standard and common term for "essay." "Cảo luận" might be encountered in classical literature, historical texts, or in very formal, scholarly contexts.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Nhà văn để lại nhiều cảo luận triết học sâu sắc. (The writer left behind many profound philosophical essays.)
  • Tập cảo luận đó được xuất bản từ thế kỷ trước. (That collection of essays was published in the previous century.)

Advanced Usage

• The term can sometimes imply a more refined, polished, or classical style of essay writing compared to the modern "tiểu luận."

Variants and Related Words

• Tiểu luận (n): Essay. This is the modern, standard term.
  • Tôi đang viết một tiểu luận về môi trường. (I am writing an essay about the environment.)
• Luận văn (n): Thesis, dissertation (typically longer and more formal than an essay).
• Bình luận (n/v): Commentary, to comment (focuses more on analysis and opinion on a specific event or work).

Synonyms

• Tiểu luận: Essay.
• Bài luận: Essay, composition (can be used in academic contexts).
• Khảo luận: Treatise, dissertation (often longer and more systematic than an essay).

Notes

• "Cảo luận" is marked as archaic (cũ) or literary. Learners should recognize it but use "tiểu luận" for active vocabulary in speaking and writing.

1. (cũ) Essay