Definition

1. Noun:
   • Wind and clouds: Literally refers to the natural phenomena of wind and moving clouds.
   • (Archaic) Favorable opportunity; good fortune: In classical and literary Vietnamese, this term is used metaphorically to denote a beautiful chance or a stroke of good luck, often in the context of a favorable turn of events or a promising situation.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Literal):
  • Trên trời cao, gió mây nhẹ nhàng trôi. (High in the sky, the wind and clouds drift gently.)
• Noun (Archaic/Figurative):
  • Gặp được gió mây, sự nghiệp của ông ấy thăng tiến nhanh chóng. (Encountering a favorable opportunity, his career advanced rapidly.)
  • Thời gió mây đã đến, hãy nắm bắt lấy. (The time of good fortune has arrived; seize it.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is primarily found in classical literature, poetry, and formal or proverbial contexts. In modern everyday speech, its figurative meaning is rarely used; phrases like "cơ hội tốt" (good opportunity) or "vận may" (good luck) are more common.
• It can evoke a sense of poetic, natural, and effortless progression, likening good fortune to the smooth, unimpeded movement of wind and clouds.

Variants and Related Words

• Gió (n): Wind.
• Mây (n): Cloud(s).
• Thời cơ (n): Opportunity (modern equivalent for the figurative sense).
• Vận may (n): Good luck, fortune.

Synonyms

• Cơ hội vàng (n): Golden opportunity.
• Vận hội (n): (Literary) Favorable turn of events, auspicious opportunity.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Gặp thời gặp vận: To encounter a prosperous time and good fortune. This idiom shares the thematic idea of auspicious timing present in the figurative use of "gió mây".
• Thuận buồm xuôi gió: Plain sailing; to proceed smoothly and successfully (literally: with favorable sails and following winds). This idiom relates to the concept of favorable conditions, similar to the archaic meaning of "gió mây".