Definition

1. Noun:
   • Integrity, noble character: "khí khái" refers to a person's inherent quality of having strong principles, self-respect, and a sense of personal dignity. It describes a character that is upright and unbending.
   • Spirit of pride, sense of honor: It can also denote a proud spirit or a strong sense of honor that prevents one from accepting undue favors or submitting to others.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anh ta là người có khí khái. (He is a man of integrity.)
  • Tôi rất khâm phục khí khái của ông ấy. (I deeply admire his noble character.)
  • Anh ta khí khái, chẳng chịu nhận sự giúp đỡ ấy đâu. (He is too proud / has too much integrity to accept such help.)

Advanced Usage

• "sống có khí khái": to live with integrity/pride.
  • Dù nghèo nhưng ông ấy vẫn sống có khí khái. (Although poor, he still lives with integrity.)
• "khí khái của một trượng phu": the noble character of a true gentleman.
  • Câu chuyện thể hiện khí khái của một trượng phu. (The story demonstrates the noble character of a true gentleman.)

Variants and Related Words

• Khí tiết (n): moral integrity, steadfastness (often used in a more formal or literary context, sometimes with a political connotation).
  • giữ vững khí tiết (to maintain one's moral integrity)
• Khí phách (n): mettle, spirit, courageous character.
  • khí phách anh hùng (heroic mettle)

Synonyms

• Tự trọng: self-respect.
• Kiêu hãnh: pride (can be positive or negative; "khí khái" is almost exclusively positive and principle-based).
• Ngay thẳng: upright, honest.

Related Idioms

• "Đói cho sạch, rách cho thơm": (Lit. Stay clean when hungry, stay fragrant when ragged.) This idiom conveys a similar meaning of maintaining one's dignity and principles even in poverty, closely related to the concept of "khí khái".

1. Proud, unwilling to accept a favour from anyone
   • Anh ta khí khái, chẳng chịu nhận sự giúp đỡ ấy đâu
     He is too proud to accept such help