Definition

1. Noun:
   • Rivers and streams: An archaic compound noun referring collectively to rivers and small streams or brooks. It evokes a poetic image of flowing waterways in nature.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Thiên nhiên nơi đây có đủ giang khê, núi rừng. (The nature here has all the rivers and streams, mountains and forests.)
  • Trong thơ cổ, hình ảnh giang khê thường tượng trưng cho sự trôi chảy của thời gian. (In ancient poetry, the image of rivers and streams often symbolizes the flow of time.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is primarily found in classical Vietnamese literature, poetry, and formal, descriptive texts to create an elegant, timeless atmosphere. It is rarely used in modern everyday conversation.

Variants and Related Words

• Sông ngòi: A more common modern term for rivers and canals.
• Khe suối: Specifically refers to brooks and mountain streams.
• Giang sơn: A related classical compound meaning "rivers and mountains," often used to signify the country or homeland.

Synonyms

• Sông suối: Rivers and streams (a more neutral, contemporary synonym).
• Thủy hệ: Water system (a more technical term).

Notes on Meaning

• The term 'giang khê' is a fixed literary compound. Its meaning is the combined image of 'giang' (large river) and 'khê' (small stream). It is used as a single conceptual unit to depict natural waterways in a general, poetic sense.

1. (từ cũ; nghĩa cũ) Rivers and brooks (streams)