kinh kì
Definition
- Noun (Archaic):
- The capital city: Refers specifically to the imperial capital, the primary city and seat of government of a monarchy or empire. This term carries a historical and formal connotation.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Nhà vua sống ở kinh kì. (The king lived in the capital.)
- Kinh kì Thăng Long là trung tâm văn hóa thời Lý. (Thang Long, the capital, was the cultural center during the Ly dynasty.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "kinh kì" is almost exclusively used in historical contexts or literary works to evoke a sense of the past. In modern Vietnamese, "thủ đô" is the standard word for a capital city.
Variants and Related Words
- Kinh đô (n): A synonym for "kinh kì," also meaning capital city, though slightly more common in historical usage.
- Huế từng là kinh đô của triều Nguyễn. (Hue was once the capital of the Nguyen dynasty.)
- Thủ đô (n): The modern and standard term for a capital city.
- Hà Nội là thủ đô của Việt Nam. (Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam.)
Synonyms
- Capital: The city that is the seat of government.
- Imperial capital: Specifically denotes the capital of an empire.
Related Idioms
- Phồn hoa kinh kì: The splendor and prosperity of the capital city.
- Câu chuyện kể về phồn hoa kinh kì ngày xưa. (The story tells of the splendor of the ancient capital.)