Definition

1. 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.)