dường bao
Definition
- Adverb (literary, archaic):
- How much; to what extent; how (in exclamations or questions about degree or amount): An archaic literary term used to express wonder, inquiry, or emphasis regarding the extent, quantity, or intensity of something. It is roughly equivalent to the modern "biết bao" or "biết chừng nào".
Usage Examples
- Adverb:
- Ước mơ dường bao! (How immense the dream is!)
- Nỗi nhớ ấy da diết dường bao! (How poignant that longing is!)
- Tình yêu đó quý giá dường bao! (How precious that love is!)
Advanced Usage
- This word is almost exclusively found in classical or formal literary texts, poetry, and elevated prose to convey deep emotion or rhetorical questioning about degree. It is not used in contemporary spoken Vietnamese.
Variants and Related Words
- Biết bao (adv): How much; to what a great extent. (Modern equivalent)
- Anh ấy yêu cô ấy biết bao! (He loves her so much!)
- Biết chừng nào (adv): How immensely; to an indescribable degree.
- Tôi nhớ quê hương biết chừng nào! (I miss my homeland immensely!)
Synonyms
- How...!: Used in exclamatory sentences (e.g., How beautiful!).
- To what extent: Expressing inquiry or emphasis on degree.
- How much: Expressing quantity or intensity.
Notes on Usage
- Register: Purely literary and archaic. Using "dường bao" in modern speech would sound unnatural and overly formal.
- Structure: It typically appears at the end of an exclamatory phrase or clause, following the adjective or state it modifies (e.g., ).