Definition

1. Verb:
   • To inaugurate; to open for public use: This is the primary meaning of "khánh thành." It refers to the formal ceremony or act of declaring a new building, monument, bridge, or public facility completed and ready for use. It marks the official start of its operation.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Thành phố sẽ khánh thành cây cầu mới vào tuần tới. (The city will inaugurate the new bridge next week.)
  • Lễ khánh thành bảo tàng đã thu hút nhiều quan khách. (The museum's inauguration ceremony attracted many dignitaries.)
  • Nhà máy đã được khánh thành sau ba năm xây dựng. (The factory was inaugurated after three years of construction.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used for significant man-made structures or projects (factories, schools, roads, statues) and implies a celebratory, official event.
• "Lễ khánh thành" is a fixed noun phrase meaning "inauguration ceremony."
  • Lễ khánh thành diễn ra rất long trọng. (The inauguration ceremony took place very solemnly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Khai trương (v): to open for business (used for shops, stores, restaurants, or commercial ventures).
  • Cửa hàng mới sẽ khai trương vào tháng Chín. (The new store will open for business in September.)

Synonyms

• Inaugurate: to formally open or introduce something for public use.
• Open: to make accessible for use (less formal than "inaugurate").
• Commission: to bring something into active service or use.

Related Idioms

• While "khánh thành" itself is not typically part of idioms, it is central to the formal phrase "cắt băng khánh thành" which means "to cut the ribbon at an inauguration."
  • Thị trưởng là người cắt băng khánh thành tòa nhà. (The mayor was the one to cut the ribbon to inaugurate the building.)

verb

1. to inaugurate; to open for public use