kiêm toàn
Definition
- Adjective:
- Well-rounded, complete, possessing all necessary qualities: Describes a person, thing, or quality that is fully developed, comprehensive, and lacks nothing essential. It implies a harmonious combination of various positive attributes or capabilities.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Anh ấy là một nhà lãnh đạo kiêm toàn. (He is a well-rounded leader.)
- Cô ấy có trí lực kiêm toàn. (She possesses a complete intellectual capacity.)
- Phẩm chất kiêm toàn là điều cần thiết cho vị trí này. (Well-rounded qualities are necessary for this position.)
Advanced Usage
- "kiêm toàn cả đức lẫn tài": to be complete in both virtue and talent; to possess both moral integrity and professional competence.
- Người lãnh đạo lý tưởng phải là người kiêm toàn cả đức lẫn tài. (An ideal leader must be someone complete in both virtue and talent.)
Variants and Related Words
- Toàn diện (adj): comprehensive, all-around. Often used similarly but can have a broader, more systematic scope (e.g., a comprehensive plan).
- Hoàn hảo (adj): perfect, flawless. Focuses more on the absence of defects rather than the combination of all qualities.
- Đầy đủ (adj): sufficient, adequate, complete. Often refers to quantity or basic requirements being met.
Synonyms
- Đầy đủ mọi mặt: complete in all aspects.
- Toàn vẹn: intact, whole, undamaged (often used for objects or territories).
- Hoàn chỉnh: complete, finished (often used for works, projects, or sets).
Notes on Usage
- Formality: "Kiêm toàn" is a formal, literary, and somewhat classical term. It is commonly used in written Vietnamese, official evaluations, and formal speeches, particularly when describing ideal human qualities.
- Typical Contexts: It is most frequently used to describe people, especially their character, intellect, or capabilities (e.g., - complete intellectual capacity, - complete in talent and virtue). It is less commonly used for objects or abstract concepts.
- Word Origin: The word is a Sino-Vietnamese compound. "Kiêm" (兼) means "to combine, to hold concurrently." "Toàn" (全) means "complete, whole." Thus, the core meaning is "combining to form a whole."