Definition

1. Adverb (of time):

   • The day before the day before yesterday; the year before the year before last: Used after "hôm" (day) or "năm" (year) to indicate a point in time two days or two years before the present.
   • The day after the day after tomorrow: Used after "ngày" (day) to indicate a point in time two days after the present.
   • One of the recent years/days (not too distant past): Used after "năm" (year) or "ngày" (day) to refer to a time in the recent, but not precisely specified, past.

2. Interjection:

   • There! Look!: A word placed at the beginning of a sentence to point out a person or thing that one has been waiting for and suddenly sees. It draws attention to something in the distance or that has just appeared.

Usage Examples

• Adverb (of time):

  • Công việc đã xong từ hôm kìa. (The work was finished the day before the day before yesterday.)
  • Sự kiện đó xảy ra từ năm kìa. (That event happened the year before the year before last year.)
  • Ngày kìa sẽ tổ chức kiểm tra. (The test will be held the day after the day after tomorrow.)
  • Hồi năm kia, năm kìa tôi có gặp ông ta. (I met him one of these recent years.)

• Interjection:

  • Kìa! Xe đã đến. (There! The car has arrived.)
  • Kìa, anh ấy đang tới kìa! (Look! He is coming over there!)

Advanced Usage

• The temporal use of "kìa" is highly dependent on the preceding word ("hôm," "năm," "ngày") to establish its specific meaning. Without these words, it does not function as a temporal adverb.
• As an interjection, "kìa" is often used in spoken language to express sudden discovery or to direct someone's gaze. It can be repeated for emphasis (e.g., - Look, look!).

Variants and Related Words

• Kia: That, there (demonstrative adjective/pronoun). While "kia" points to something visible but not immediately near, "kìa" as an interjection is used for exclamation and pointing.
  • Ngôi nhà kia (That house over there).

Synonyms

• Temporal use: Two days ago (for ), in three days (for ).
• As an interjection: There! Behold! Look! Voilà!

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Kìa xem: Look there! (A more emphatic form of the interjection).
  • Kìa xem, hoa đã nở rồi! (Look there, the flowers have bloomed!)

1. Before the day before yesterday; before the year before last year
   • Việc xong từ hôm kìa
     The job was completed three days ago
   • Việc ấy xảy ra từ năm kìa
     That event occurred the year before the year before last year
2. After the day after tomorrow
   • Ngày kìa sẽ tổ chức kiểm tra
     The tests will be given in three days time
3. One of the recent year (day)
   • Hồi năm kia, năm kìa tôi có gặp ông ta
     I met him one of the recent years
4. There
   • Kìa xe đã đến
     There the car is coming ; there's the car (coming)