kỳ lân

Một con kỳ lân bằng đá đứng canh gác trước cổng đền.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Unicorn: A mythical creature, often depicted as a horse-like animal with a single, long, spiraled horn projecting from its forehead. It is a symbol of purity, grace, and magic in Western mythology.
   • Qilin: A mythical hooved chimerical creature from East Asian mythology, often depicted with antlers, scales, and a body combining features of several animals. It is one of the Four Benevolent Animals and a symbol of wisdom, prosperity, and serenity.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong truyện cổ tích châu Âu, kỳ lân là sinh vật rất thuần khiết. (In European fairy tales, the unicorn is a very pure creature.)
  • Hình tượng kỳ lân thường được chạm khắc ở các ngôi đình cổ. (The image of the qilin is often carved in ancient communal houses.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "kỳ lân" can be used metaphorically to describe something extremely rare, unique, or excellent.
  • Cô ấy có một giọng hát kỳ lân, hiếm có khó tìm. (She has a unicorn-like voice, extremely rare and hard to find.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kỳ lân biển (n): Narwhal; a medium-sized whale with a long, straight tusk, whose appearance contributed to unicorn legends.
  • Kỳ lân biển sống ở vùng Bắc Cực. (The narwhal lives in the Arctic region.)

Synonyms

• Unicorn: The direct equivalent in Western contexts.
• Qilin: The direct equivalent in East Asian contexts.
• Mythical beast: A general term for creatures from mythology.

Related Idioms

• Hiếm như kỳ lân: As rare as a unicorn/qilin; used to describe something exceedingly rare.
  • Nhân tài như anh ấy hiếm như kỳ lân. (A talent like him is as rare as a unicorn.)