lời non nước
Definition
- Noun:
- Vows of eternal love; solemn pledges of fidelity: Poetic and literary term referring to passionate, often youthful, promises of love and devotion, typically made between lovers. The phrase evokes imagery of swearing by the mountains ("non") and the sea ("nước") as eternal witnesses, implying a love as enduring as these natural features.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Họ trao nhau những lời non nước trước khi chia tay. (They exchanged vows of eternal love before parting.)
- Lời non nước thuở nào giờ đã phai mờ. (The solemn pledges of yesteryear have now faded.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is almost exclusively used in poetic, literary, or nostalgic contexts to describe love promises that are profound, idealistic, and meant to last forever. It often carries a connotation of promises that may be difficult to keep or that belong to a more romantic, naive past.
Variants and Related Words
- Thề non hẹn biển (idiom): To swear by the mountains and pledge by the sea; to make extravagant vows and promises.
- Anh ấy thề non hẹn biển sẽ không bao giờ bỏ cô. (He swore by the mountains and the sea that he would never leave her.)
Synonyms
- Love vows: Promises made between lovers.
- Solemn pledges: Serious and formal commitments.
- Eternal promises: Vows intended to last forever.
Related Idioms
- Thề nguyền: To take a vow or swear an oath, often in a romantic or solemn context.
- Hai người thề nguyền sống chết có nhau. (The two vowed to be together in life and death.)