cá kình
Definition
- Noun:
- Whale (specifically a baleen whale): "cá kình" refers to a large marine mammal of the order Cetacea, specifically a type of baleen whale (like a rorqual). It is a general, though somewhat dated or literary, term for a whale in Vietnamese.
- Figuratively, a very large or powerful entity: Can be used metaphorically to describe something or someone of immense size, power, or influence.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Đàn cá kình đang di cư về phía nam. (A pod of whales is migrating south.)
- Công ty đó là một con cá kình trong ngành công nghệ. (That company is a whale in the technology industry.)
Advanced Usage
- "cá kình cá lặn": An idiom meaning "all kinds of fish," used to refer to a diverse mix of people or things, often of varying importance or character.
- Hội nghị có đủ các hạng cá kình cá lặn. (The conference had all sorts of people, from the big shots to the small fry.)
Variants and Related Words
- Cá voi: The more common and modern general term for "whale."
- Cá nhà táng: Sperm whale.
- Cá voi xanh: Blue whale.
- Cá voi lưng gù: Humpback whale.
Synonyms
- Cá voi: Whale (more common synonym).
- Kình ngư: A literary or archaic synonym for a large whale or sea monster.
Related Idioms
- "Cá kình cá lặn": As mentioned above, meaning all sorts of creatures/people, the great and the small.
- "Nuôi cá kình trong ao": Literally "to raise a whale in a pond," meaning to harbor or manage something too large or powerful for the given environment or situation.