canh khuya
Definition
- Noun:
- The late night watch; the deep night: "canh khuya" refers to a very late hour of the night, specifically one of the traditional night watches that has passed, indicating a time far into the night.
Usage
- "Canh khuya" is a literary and somewhat archaic term, often used in poetry, classical literature, or formal writing to evoke a sense of deep night, solitude, or quiet reflection. It is not commonly used in everyday modern conversation.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Thao thức canh khuya. (To stay awake far into the night.)
- Tiếng chuông chùa vang vọng trong canh khuya. (The temple bell resonates in the deep of night.)
- Bóng người thấp thoáng ngoài hiên canh khuya. (A figure flickers on the porch in the dead of night.)
Advanced Usage
- Literary and Poetic Usage: The term is frequently used to set a melancholic, quiet, or contemplative scene.
- Canh khuya văng vẳng trống canh dồn... (A line from Nguyen Du's "The Tale of Kieu," meaning: In the deep night, the urgent sound of the watch drum echoes...)
Variants and Related Words
- Khuya (adj/n): Late (at night). A more common, modern word for "late night."
- đêm khuya (late night)
- Canh (n): A traditional unit for measuring night time, dividing the night into five watches ().
- Đêm khuya khoắt: An idiomatic phrase meaning "the deep, silent night."
Synonyms
- Nửa đêm: Midnight.
- Đêm hôm khuya khoắt: The deep, quiet night.
- Giờ Tý (the Hour of the Rat, 11 pm - 1 am): Refers to the period of the first and second night watches.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Thức trắng canh khuya: To stay awake the whole night.
- Lo cho công việc, anh ấy thức trắng canh khuya. (Worried about work, he stayed awake the whole night.)
- Canh thâu: Refers to the night watch lasting until dawn; a synonym emphasizing duration.
- Đèn sách canh thâu. (To study by the lamp until dawn.)
-
Far into the night
