hải dương
Definition
- Noun:
- Ocean: A vast body of salt water that covers most of the Earth's surface; a major division of this body. This is the primary and most common meaning.
- Sea (in a broad or poetic sense): Often used in formal, literary, or compound contexts to refer to the sea or maritime realms.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Biển Thái Bình Dương là đại dương lớn nhất. (The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean.)
- Ngành hải dương học nghiên cứu về các đại dương. (Oceanography studies the oceans.)
- Sức mạnh hải dương là yếu tố quan trọng trong lịch sử. (Naval power has been an important factor in history.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "hải dương" is considered more formal, academic, or literary than the common word "biển" (sea). It frequently appears in scientific, geographical, or historical contexts.
- "Hải dương" is commonly used as a component in compound nouns rather than alone in everyday speech.
Variants and Related Words
- Đại dương (n): Ocean. This is the most standard and frequently used synonym for "hải dương".
- Hải dương học (n): Oceanography.
- Anh ấy là một nhà hải dương học. (He is an oceanographer.)
- Cường quốc hải dương (n): Thalassocracy; a maritime power.
- Vương quốc cổ đại đó từng là một cường quốc hải dương. (That ancient kingdom was once a thalassocracy.)
Synonyms
- Ocean: A very large expanse of sea.
- Sea (in broad contexts): The expanse of salt water.
- The deep (poetic): The sea.
Notes on Usage
- In modern Vietnamese, "đại dương" is the predominant term for "ocean." "Hải dương" is less common in isolation and is often found in fixed phrases, technical terminology, or historical texts.
- It should not be confused with "hải dương" as part of the name "Hải Dương," which is a province in northern Vietnam.