Definition

1. Noun:

   • Reformed theatre: A traditional form of Vietnamese musical theatre that originated in Southern Vietnam in the early 20th century. It combines elements of folk music, classical singing, and modern spoken drama, often featuring stories about history, legends, and contemporary society.
   • Reform: The act of making changes to something in order to improve it. This can apply to social customs, agriculture, or systems.

2. Adjective:

   • Reformist: Relating to or characterized by the belief in gradual improvement or change rather than revolutionary change.

3. Verb:

   • To reform / To improve: To make changes to something in order to make it better.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Theatre):

  • Bà tôi rất thích xem cải lương. (My grandmother loves watching reformed theatre.)
  • Cải lương là một loại hình nghệ thuật đặc sắc của miền Nam. (Reformed theatre is a distinctive art form of Southern Vietnam.)

• Noun (Reform):

  • Cải lương nông nghiệp là cần thiết. (Agricultural reform is necessary.)

• Adjective:

  • Đó là một chính sách có tư tưởng cải lương. (That is a policy with a reformist ideology.)

• Verb:

  • Họ muốn cải lương giống lúa. (They want to improve the rice strain.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "cải lương" in the context of theatre is a proper noun and is often not translated, used similarly to "opera" for specific forms. It is recognized as a specific cultural genre.
  • She is a famous cải lương performer.

Variants and Related Words

• Nhà cải lương (n): A reformer; a person who advocates for or implements reforms.

  • Ông ấy được biết đến như một nhà cải lương xã hội. (He is known as a social reformer.)

• Chủ nghĩa cải lương (n): Reformism (the political doctrine of gradual change).

  • Chủ nghĩa cải lương bị những người cách mạng phê phán. (Reformism was criticized by the revolutionaries.)

Synonyms

• Reform: Change, improvement, amendment.
• Reformist: Progressive, moderate.
• Improved theatre: Modernized theatre (specifically for the art form).

Related Idioms

• While not a direct idiom, the phrase "tinh thần cải lương" (reformist spirit) is commonly used to describe an attitude favoring gradual improvement over radical change.
  • Chúng ta cần có tinh thần cải lương trong công việc. (We need a reformist spirit in our work.)

verb

1. To improve, to reform
   • cải lương giống lúa
     to improve a rice strain
   • cải lương đàn gia súc
     to improve a herd of domestic animals

adj

1. Reformist
   • tư tưởng cải lương
     reformist ideology
   • những tổ chức cải lương
     reformist organizations

noun

1. Reform
   • cải lương hương chính
     rural reform (thời phong kiến và thuộc Pháp)
2. Reformed theatre in the South Vietnam