Definition

1. Idiomatic Phrase (Literary):
   • "The bone-structure of a plum blossom, the spirit-soul of snow": A classical Vietnamese literary idiom describing a person, typically a woman, of exceptional and elegant beauty. It compares the subject's physical grace and delicate bone structure to that of a plum blossom ("mai") and her pure, radiant, and noble spirit to the essence of snow ("tuyết"). It implies a beauty that is both outwardly refined and inwardly pristine.

Usage Examples

• Idiomatic Phrase:
  • Trong "Truyện Kiều", Nguyễn Du miêu tả Thuý Vân và Thuý Kiều: "Mai cốt cách, tuyết tinh thần." (In "The Tale of Kieu", Nguyen Du describes Thuy Van and Thuy Kieu: "They possessed the bone-structure of a plum blossom, the spirit-soul of snow.")
  • Vẻ đẹp của cô ấy được ca ngợi là "mai cốt cách, tuyết tinh thần". (Her beauty was praised as "the bone-structure of a plum blossom, the spirit-soul of snow.")

Advanced Usage

• This phrase is almost exclusively used in a literary or highly poetic context to offer the highest form of aesthetic compliment. It originates from and is most famously associated with Nguyen Du's 19th-century epic poem (The Tale of Kieu). It sets a standard of ideal beauty combining physical delicacy and spiritual purity.

Variants and Related Words

• Cốt cách (n): Bone-structure, character, or inherent quality; often referring to one's dignified bearing or moral fiber.
• Tinh thần (n): Spirit, soul, mental essence.
• Mai (n): Plum blossom (specifically , a symbol of resilience and beauty in Vietnamese culture).
• Tuyết (n): Snow (a symbol of purity and whiteness, though rare in Vietnam, making it a potent literary symbol).

Synonyms

• Ethereal beauty: A beauty that is delicate, refined, and seemingly not of this world.
• Pure and elegant: Possessing both moral/spiritual purity and graceful refinement.

Related Idioms

• "Hoa nhường nguyệt thẹn": (Flowers yield, the moon is ashamed) Another idiom from describing overwhelming beauty that outshines nature itself.
• "Nghiêng nước nghiêng thành": (To tilt the country, to tilt the city) Describing a beauty so great it could cause the fall of states.