Definition

1. Noun:
   • A late hour of the night, far into the night: "canh chầy" refers to a very late time period during the night, often implying the deep night or the small hours. This is an old, literary term.

Usage

• The word "canh chầy" is a literary and somewhat archaic term. It is used to poetically describe the lateness of the night, often in written contexts like poetry, classical literature, or formal prose to evoke a specific time atmosphere.
• It typically functions as a temporal adverbial phrase.

Usage Examples

• Noun (as a time phrase):
  • Họ họp bàn công việc đến canh chầy. (They discussed the work far into the night.)
  • Tiếng đàn vẳng ra đến tận canh chầy. (The sound of the lute echoed until the late hours of the night.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used to set a scene of quiet, deep night, solitude, or prolonged activity that stretches past midnight.

Variants and Related Words

• Khuya: (late at night) - This is the modern, common equivalent for "late at night."
• Đêm khuya: (deep night) - A common phrase with a similar meaning.
• Canh khuya: (late night watch) - Another literary term combining "canh" (a night watch period) and "khuya" (late).

Synonyms

• Khuya: late (at night).
• Đêm hôm khuya khoắt: a descriptive phrase for the deep, quiet night.

Notes

• "Canh chầy" is not used in everyday modern conversation. You will encounter it in older texts, poetry, or used deliberately for a classical, formal, or poetic tone. For modern usage, "khuya" or "đêm khuya" is recommended.

1. (cũ) Far into the night