Definition

1. Noun (Archaic):
   • Elevated conversation / High-minded discourse: Refers to a sophisticated discussion or intellectual conversation about profound, abstract, or lofty subjects, such as philosophy, ethics, or the arts.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Các bậc trí giả thường ngồi lại để cao đàm. (The scholars often sat together for elevated conversation.)
  • Buổi tối đó chỉ là một cuộc cao đàm về triết lý nhân sinh. (That evening was merely a high-minded discourse on the philosophy of life.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "cao đàm" is considered literary and archaic in modern Vietnamese. It is primarily encountered in classical literature, historical texts, or used deliberately to evoke a formal, scholarly, or old-fashioned tone.

Variants and Related Words

• Đàm luận (v): to discuss, to converse (a more common, general term for discussion).
• Đàm đạo (v): to converse, often with a nuance of cultured or polite exchange.
• Hàn huyên (v): to chat, to have a leisurely talk (less formal and intellectual than "cao đàm").

Synonyms

• Intellectual discourse
• Learned conversation
• Philosophical discussion

Related Idioms

• Cao đàm khoát luận: To engage in grand, expansive, or high-flown talk, sometimes with a slight connotation of being impractical or overly theoretical.
  • Họ ngồi đó cao đàm khoát luận về mọi vấn đề trên đời. (They sat there engaging in grand talk about all the world's problems.)