mật kế
Definition
- Noun:
- Secret plan; secret stratagem: A carefully devised, confidential scheme or plot intended to achieve a specific, often strategic, objective without others' knowledge.
- Clandestine scheme: A covert or underhanded plan, typically involving cunning or trickery.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Hắn đang suy tính một mật kế để đánh bại đối thủ. (He is devising a secret stratagem to defeat his rival.)
- Mật kế đó cuối cùng cũng bị bại lộ. (That clandestine scheme was finally exposed.)
- Binh pháp cổ đại thường nhắc đến các loại mật kế. (Ancient military texts often mention various types of secret plans.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "mật kế" is primarily used in formal, literary, or historical contexts, often related to military strategy, political intrigue, or complex plots in narratives. It implies a higher degree of secrecy and cunning than a general plan ("kế hoạch").
Variants and Related Words
- Kế hoạch bí mật (n): Secret plan. (A more modern and general synonym.)
- Mưu kế (n): Stratagem, scheme. (A broader term for a cunning plan, not necessarily secret.)
- Âm mưu (n): Conspiracy, plot. (Often carries a stronger negative or malicious connotation.)
Synonyms
- Secret plan
- Clandestine plot
- Covert stratagem
- Hidden scheme
Related Idioms
- While "mật kế" itself is not commonly part of a fixed idiom, it relates conceptually to phrases about secrecy and strategy, such as:
- "Bí mật như bưng": (To be) tight-lipped, extremely secretive.
- Mọi người đều giữ kín mật kế, bí mật như bưng. (Everyone kept the secret plan tight-lipped.)