Definition

1. Noun (Literary, Archaic):
   • High-flying ambition; adventurous spirit: Refers to the broad, expansive aspirations and adventurous character traditionally idealized for men in feudal society. It describes a mindset that seeks great deeds and experiences beyond the ordinary.
   • Going through lakes and seas: The literal meaning, evoking a journey across vast waters, symbolizing a life of travel, challenge, and exploration.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Chàng trai ấy mang trong mình chí khí hồ hải. (That young man possesses a high-flying, adventurous spirit.)
  • Theo quan niệm xưa, nam nhi phải có chí hồ hải. (According to old beliefs, a man must have an expansive, adventurous ambition.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is almost exclusively used in literary, historical, or formal contexts to evoke the Confucian ideal of male ambition. It is often paired with words like "chí khí" (will, spirit) or "chí nam nhi" (a man's ambition).

Variants and Related Words

• Chí hồ hải: A common compound phrase meaning "high-flying ambition" or "an adventurous will."
  • Ông ấy theo đuổi chí hồ hải từ thuở trẻ. (He pursued high-flying ambitions from his youth.)

Synonyms

• High-flying ambition: Aspirations that are grand and lofty.
• Adventurous spirit: A disposition eager for adventure and challenge.
• Wanderlust (in a classical sense): A strong desire to travel and explore the world.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Chí tang bồng hồ hải: A classical four-word idiom. "Tang bồng" refers to bows and arrows (symbolizing martial duty), and "hồ hải" completes it, representing the full ideal of a feudal man's spirit: to fulfill martial and civil duties and to venture widely.
  • Thời loạn lạc, nhiều người mang chí tang bồng hồ hải. (In times of turmoil, many people upheld the spirit of martial duty and grand adventure.)

1. Going through lakes and seas; high-flying (nói về chí khí người
   • con trai theo quan niệm phong kiến)