nghiên
Definition
- Noun:
- Inkstone: A traditional stone tool used in East Asian calligraphy and painting for grinding and containing solid ink. The calligrapher or painter rubs an ink stick with water against the stone's surface to produce liquid ink.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ông cụ cẩn thận mài mực trên chiếc nghiên cổ. (The old man carefully ground the ink on the antique inkstone.)
- Nghiên, mực, bút, và giấy là "Tứ bảo" của thư pháp. (The inkstone, ink, brush, and paper are the "Four Treasures" of calligraphy.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "nghiên" is almost exclusively used in historical or traditional artistic contexts. In modern Vietnamese, the object itself is rare, so the word appears most commonly in literature, historical texts, or when discussing traditional arts.
Variants and Related Words
- Nghiên mực (n): A more descriptive compound noun for "inkstone," explicitly linking it to ink.
- Chiếc nghiên mực bằng đá này rất quý. (This stone inkstone is very precious.)
Synonyms
- Ink slab: A less common English synonym for inkstone.
- Ink grinding stone: A descriptive term for the tool's function.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Bên nghiên sách đèn: Literally "by the inkstone and lamp," meaning to be devoted to study and scholarly pursuits.
- Thời trẻ, ông ấy suốt ngày bên nghiên sách đèn. (In his youth, he was always devoted to his studies by the inkstone and lamp.)