giao hoan
Definition
- Verb:
- To rejoice together, to share in mutual joy: An archaic, literary verb describing the act of people collectively experiencing and sharing happiness, often in a celebratory or communal context, such as a feast or gathering.
- To engage in merrymaking together: Refers specifically to celebrating together joyfully, typically involving social activities like drinking, feasting, or revelry.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Các vị khách quý cùng giao hoan trong bữa tiệc. (The distinguished guests rejoiced together at the banquet.)
- Sau chiến thắng, cả làng tụ tập để giao hoan. (After the victory, the whole village gathered to celebrate together.)
Advanced Usage
- This word is highly literary and archaic. It is almost exclusively found in classical Vietnamese poetry, historical texts, or used deliberately to create a classical, formal, or poetic tone. It is not used in everyday modern conversation.
- It often implies a formal, elegant, or ceremonial type of shared joy, rather than casual fun.
Variants and Related Words
- Giao (verb): To interact, to exchange, to connect. This root contributes the meaning of "mutual" or "together" in "giao hoan".
- Hoan (verb): To be joyful, to rejoice. This root contributes the core meaning of "joy" in "giao hoan".
- Hoan hỉ (adj/verb): To be delighted, overjoyed. A more common modern word for expressing great joy.
- Liên hoan (noun/verb): A party, celebration, or to hold a party. A common modern compound derived from a similar classical construction, meaning "connected joy".
Synonyms
- Cùng vui: To be happy together (modern, neutral).
- Chung vui: To share joy (modern, neutral).
- Ăn mừng: To celebrate (modern, common).
Notes on Meaning
- The primary and almost singular meaning of "giao hoan" is the shared, communal act of rejoicing. It is crucial to distinguish this from the modern, euphemistic meaning of "sexual intercourse," which is a separate, distinct word and concept. The word explained here is the classical literary term.