khôi khoa
Definition
- Noun:
- Top graduate (in an ancient examination): "khôi khoa" refers to the person who achieved the highest score (first place) in a traditional Vietnamese imperial examination (khoa thi) in the past.
- Primus (in a literary competition): The term specifically denotes the top laureate or the number one scholar in a historical civil service exam.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ông ấy là khôi khoa của khoa thi năm ấy. (He was the top graduate of the examination that year.)
- Danh hiệu khôi khoa là niềm mơ ước của nhiều nho sinh xưa. (The title of primus was the dream of many Confucian scholars in the past.)
Advanced Usage
- "Đỗ khôi khoa": to pass the exam as the top graduate.
- Nguyễn Khuyến đã đỗ khôi khoa tam nguyên. (Nguyễn Khuyến passed as the top graduate, achieving the "triple first" distinction.)
Variants and Related Words
- Trạng nguyên (n): "zhuàngyuán" (狀元), the top laureate in the highest-level palace examination, often considered a more specific or higher title than "khôi khoa" in some contexts.
- Thủ khoa (n): valedictorian, the top graduate of a modern exam or university course.
- Đỗ đầu (v): to come first, to top the exam list.
Synonyms
- Người đỗ đầu: the person who came first.
- Thủ khoa (cổ): (ancient) valedictorian.
Notes on Meaning
- Historical Context: The word "khôi khoa" is an archaic term, deeply rooted in Vietnam's feudal examination system. It is not used in contemporary educational contexts but appears in historical or literary texts.
- Scope: While "khôi khoa" means the top graduate of an exam, the specific title (e.g., Trạng Nguyên, Bảng Nhãn, Thám Hoa) depended on the exam's level and the dynasty's regulations. "Khôi khoa" can be a general term for the top scorer.