Definition

1. Verb:
   • To express emotion indirectly through writing or art: The primary meaning of "ngụ tình" is to embed or convey one's feelings, sentiments, or state of mind within a literary work (like a poem or essay) or another artistic form, rather than stating them explicitly.
   • To use allegory or symbolism to convey sentiment: It involves using descriptive scenes, objects, or narratives as vessels to carry and imply deeper personal emotions.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Bài thơ này không tả cảnh đơn thuần mà chính là để ngụ tình. (This poem does not merely describe the scenery; its true purpose is to express emotion indirectly.)
  • Nhà văn ngụ tình qua hình ảnh cánh chim bay. (The writer conveys sentiment through the image of a flying bird.)

Advanced Usage

• Literary Technique: "Ngụ tình" is a key concept in classical Vietnamese and East Asian literary criticism. It describes the technique where the author's inner world ("tình") is lodged ("ngụ") within the depiction of external reality.
  • Thủ pháp ngụ tình rất phổ biến trong thơ cổ điển. (The technique of expressing emotion indirectly is very common in classical poetry.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ngụ ý (v): to imply, to hint at a meaning.

  • Câu nói của anh ấy ngụ ý một lời từ chối. (His statement implied a refusal.)

• Tả cảnh ngụ tình (idiomatic phrase): to describe scenery in order to convey emotion; a specific literary principle where landscape description serves as a medium for emotional expression.

  • Bài thơ là một ví dụ điển hình của bút pháp tả cảnh ngụ tình. (The poem is a classic example of the technique of describing scenery to convey emotion.)

Synonyms

• To allegorize: to represent abstract ideas or emotions through symbolic figures or actions.
• To imply emotion: to suggest feelings without direct statement.
• To embed sentiment: to place feelings within a descriptive context.

Related Idioms

• Tả cảnh ngụ tình: As above, this is a set phrase denoting a major literary technique. It is not just an idiom but a term of art in poetry analysis.
  • Nhà thơ dùng phép tả cảnh ngụ tình để nói lên nỗi cô đơn. (The poet used the method of "describing scenery to convey emotion" to express loneliness.)