Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Primordial, initial, of the very beginning: "Khai thủy" describes something belonging to the earliest, original, or formative stage of existence or development.
   • Incipient, nascent: It can also refer to something in its very first stages of coming into being.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Thời kỳ khai thủy của vũ trụ vẫn còn nhiều bí ẩn. (The primordial period of the universe still holds many mysteries.)
  • Đây là bản nhạc khai thủy cho một thể loại mới. (This is the incipient piece of music for a new genre.)
  • Những tư tưởng khai thủy ấy đã định hình nên triết học phương Tây. (Those initial thoughts shaped Western philosophy.)

Advanced Usage

• "buổi khai thủy": the inaugural session/ceremony; the very beginning.

  • Buổi khai thủy của hội nghị diễn ra long trọng. (The inaugural session of the conference took place solemnly.)

• Used in formal, literary, or academic contexts to evoke a sense of ancient origin or foundational importance.

Variants and Related Words

• Khai nguyên (v): To found, to initiate (an era, a dynasty). Often used in historical contexts.

  • Nhà Lý khai nguyên kinh đô Thăng Long. (The Ly Dynasty founded the capital Thang Long.)

• Ban sơ (adj): Primordial, pristine. Emphasizes the original, untouched state.

• Sơ khai (adj): Rudimentary, elementary. Describes something in a simple, undeveloped early form.

Synonyms

• Ban đầu (adj): Initial, first. (More common and less literary than "khai thủy").
• Nguyên thủy (adj): Primitive, primeval. (Often refers to prehistoric times).
• Hình thành (v): To form, to take shape. (Describes the process of beginning).

Notes on Usage

• "Khai thủy" is a literary and somewhat archaic term. It is rarely used in everyday conversation but appears in historical, philosophical, religious, or poetic texts.
• It carries a formal and weighty connotation, suitable for describing the profound beginnings of concepts, eras, civilizations, or natural phenomena.