Definition

1. Noun (Historical):
   • The civil examination system and officialdom: Refers to the traditional Confucian examination system (khoa cử) used in imperial Vietnam and China to select scholars for government service (mandarinate). It encompasses both the process of studying for, taking, and passing the exams, and the subsequent career as a government official.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông cụ thân sinh ra từ con đường khoa hoạn. (The old gentleman was born from the path of the examinations and mandarinate.)
  • Thời xưa, khoa hoạn là ước mơ của nhiều nho sinh. (In the past, the examination system and official career was the dream of many Confucian scholars.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "khoa hoạn" is obsolete and used only in historical or literary contexts to describe the traditional scholar-official path. It implies a lifelong pursuit of learning, passing rigorous exams, and serving in the imperial bureaucracy.

Variants and Related Words

• Khoa cử (n): The examination system itself.
  • Hệ thống khoa cử chấm dứt vào đầu thế kỷ 20. (The examination system ended in the early 20th century.)
• Quan trường (n): The arena of officialdom; the bureaucratic world.
  • Ông ấy đã trải qua nhiều thăng trầm trong quan trường. (He experienced many ups and downs in the world of officialdom.)

Synonyms

• The mandarin system: The system of government by scholar-officials.
• Civil service examinations: The tests for selecting officials.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Đeo đuổi con đường khoa hoạn: To persistently pursue a career through the examination system.
  • Cả đời ông ấy đeo đuổi con đường khoa hoạn. (He spent his whole life persistently pursuing the path of examinations and officialdom.)

1. (cũ) Graduation in to mandarinhood
   • Đeo đuổi con đường khoa hoạn
     To be persistingly after graduation in to mandarinhood