kì chay
Definition
- Noun:
- A fasting period: A designated period of religious observance, particularly in Buddhism or certain folk religions, during which adherents abstain from certain foods, especially meat, and often engage in increased prayer, meditation, and purification of the mind and body.
- A period of abstinence: More broadly, it can refer to any scheduled time for abstaining from indulgences or specific activities as a form of spiritual discipline.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Gia đình tôi ăn chay trường trong suốt tháng kì chay. (My family eats vegetarian for the entire fasting period.)
- Kì chay là thời gian để tĩnh tâm và suy ngẫm. (The fasting period is a time for calming the mind and reflection.)
Advanced Usage
- The concept is often associated with lunar calendar observances in Vietnamese folk religion and Buddhism, such as the first and seventh lunar months.
Variants and Related Words
Ăn chay (v): to eat vegetarian food, to fast from meat.
Tháng chay (n): a fasting month.
- Tháng bảy âm lịch thường được coi là một tháng chay. (The seventh lunar month is often considered a fasting month.)
Synonyms
- Fast: a period of abstaining from food or certain kinds of food.
- Lent: a period of fasting and penitence in Christianity (similar in concept, but from a different religion).
- Abstinence period: a time of refraining from indulgent activities.
Related Idioms
- Giữ kì chay: to observe the fasting period.
- Cụ bà rất thành tâm giữ kì chay. (The elderly lady devoutly observes the fasting period.)