Definition

1. Noun:
   • Oxygen: A chemical element (symbol O) that is a colorless, odorless gas essential for respiration and combustion. This is an older, literary, or formal Vietnamese term for oxygen.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cây cối thải ra dưỡng khí trong quá trình quang hợp. (Plants release oxygen during photosynthesis.)
  • Dưỡng khí là yếu tố sống còn cho sự sống trên Trái Đất. (Oxygen is a vital element for life on Earth.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is considered somewhat archaic or literary in modern Vietnamese. In scientific, medical, and everyday contexts, the word "oxy" (from "oxygen") is now far more commonly used.
• "dưỡng khí" can sometimes be found in older texts, formal writing, or poetic language to evoke a classical tone.

Variants and Related Words

• Oxy (Noun): The modern, common Vietnamese term for oxygen.
  • Bình oxy (oxygen tank)
• Khí oxy (Noun Phrase): Another way to say "oxygen gas," blending the modern and classical terms.
• Chất ôxy hóa / Chất oxy hóa (Noun Phrase): Oxidizing agent.

Synonyms

• Oxy: The direct and contemporary synonym.
• Khí trợ sinh: An extremely rare, almost obsolete synonym meaning "life-supporting gas."

Notes on Meaning

• The word "dưỡng" means to nourish or nurture.
• The word "khí" means gas or air.
• Therefore, "dưỡng khí" literally translates to "nourishing gas," perfectly describing its life-sustaining function. This contrasts with "thanh khí", an old term for nitrogen, meaning "pure/inert gas."

1. (cũ) Oxygen