Definition

1. Noun:
   • Heaven and Earth, the universe, the cosmos: "Kiền khôn" is an archaic, literary term referring to the universe or the cosmos, encompassing both heaven and earth. It is synonymous with "càn khôn" and carries a philosophical or poetic connotation.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong thơ cổ, "kiền khôn" thường được dùng để chỉ vũ trụ bao la. (In ancient poetry, "kiền khôn" is often used to refer to the vast universe.)
  • Sự chuyển động của kiền khôn là một đề tài triết học. (The movement of heaven and earth is a philosophical topic.)

Advanced Usage

• "Kiền khôn" is primarily found in classical Vietnamese literature, poetry, and philosophical texts. Its usage in modern spoken Vietnamese is extremely rare and would be considered highly formal or archaic.

Variants and Related Words

• Càn khôn (n): This is the more common variant with identical meaning (heaven and earth, the universe). "Kiền khôn" is a less frequent alternate form.
  • Vận mệnh càn khôn. (The destiny of the universe.)

Synonyms

• Vũ trụ (n): universe, cosmos. (This is the standard modern term.)
• Trời đất (n): heaven and earth. (This is a more common colloquial term with a similar meaning.)

Notes on Meaning

• The word is a compound formed from "kiền" (an alternate form of "càn," meaning heaven, the masculine principle) and "khôn" (meaning earth, the feminine principle), reflecting ancient Sino-Vietnamese cosmological concepts.
• It does not have different meanings in modern contexts; its sole meaning is the archaic/literary one stated above. It is not used to form idioms or phrasal verbs in contemporary language.

1. như càn khôn