Definition

1. Noun:
   • A deep, harmonious, and enduring friendship: "cầm kì" refers to a profound bond of friendship, often one that is cultivated and cherished over time, akin to the harmonious relationship between two musical instruments.
   • A refined and artistic friendship: The term evokes a connection based on shared cultural or artistic appreciation, likened to the enjoyment of music ("cầm" - string instrument) and chess ("kì" - board game).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Tình bạn của họ thật sự là một tình cầm kì hiếm có. (Their friendship is truly a rare and profound bond.)
  • Hai người bạn tri kỉ ấy đã giữ được mối cầm kì suốt mấy chục năm. (Those two kindred spirits have maintained their deep friendship for decades.)

Advanced Usage

• "cầm kì thi họa": This is a four-word idiom describing the four refined arts of a scholar: music ("cầm"), chess ("kì"), poetry ("thi"), and painting ("họa"). It represents the ideal of a cultured person and, by extension, a friendship based on such shared高雅 pursuits.
  • Họ kết bạn với nhau qua thú vui cầm kì thi họa. (They became friends through the shared enjoyment of the four refined arts.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bằng hữu (n): Friend, comrade (a more common, general term for friend).
• Tri kỉ (n): A soulmate, a kindred spirit; someone who deeply understands you (emphasizes deep mutual understanding, often overlapping with "cầm kì").
• Cầm sắt (n): Literally "lute and zither"; traditionally symbolizes marital harmony. As seen in the reference, it can be contrasted with "cầm kì" to distinguish conjugal love from platonic friendship.

Synonyms

• Tình bạn thâm giao: A deep and longstanding friendship.
• Bạn tri âm: A friend who understands your heart/music; a friend who appreciates you deeply.

Related Idioms

• "Đổi cầm sắt ra cầm kì": To change the bonds of marriage into bonds of friendship. This idiom, from the referenced line by Nguyễn Du, describes transforming a romantic or marital relationship into a platonic friendship.
  • Sau khi ly dị, họ quyết định đổi cầm sắt ra cầm kì. (After divorcing, they decided to change their marital bond into one of friendship.)