ngàn dặm
Definition
Noun Phrase:
- A thousand miles: A literal measure of great distance, emphasizing a vast physical separation.
- A great distance / far away: Used figuratively to describe something being very remote or a long way off.
Adjective Phrase (figurative):
- Distant / far-flung: Describing something situated at a great distance.
- Long-distance: Characterizing a relationship, journey, or communication that spans a vast geographical area.
Usage Examples
Noun Phrase:
- Quê hương của tôi cách đây ngàn dặm. (My homeland is a thousand miles away.)
- Tình bạn của họ vượt qua ngàn dặm. (Their friendship spans a great distance.)
Adjective Phrase:
- Họ có một mối quan hệ ngàn dặm. (They have a long-distance relationship.)
- Chuyến hành trình ngàn dặm bắt đầu từ một bước chân. (The thousand-mile journey begins with a single step.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used in literary and poetic contexts to evoke a sense of epic scale, longing, or separation.
- Can be part of fixed expressions to emphasize extreme effort or dedication, e.g., traveling a great distance for someone or something.
Variants and Related Words
- Nghìn dặm: A direct synonym with the same meaning (a thousand miles). This is the variant referenced in the source note ("xem nghìn dặm").
- Đường ngàn dặm (n): a thousand-mile road/path; a very long journey.
Synonyms
- A long way: A general term for a great distance.
- Far-off: Situated at a great distance.
- Remote: Far away from populated areas.
Related Idioms and Phrases
Ngàn dặm xa khơi: A thousand miles far out to sea; emphasizes immense, empty distance.
- Anh ấy đi thuyền ra chốn ngàn dặm xa khơi. (He sailed his boat out to a place a thousand miles far out to sea.)
Tìm nhau ngàn dặm: To search for each other across a thousand miles; signifies a determined search over great distance.
- Dù ngàn dặm, họ vẫn quyết tâm tìm nhau. (Even across a thousand miles, they were determined to find each other.)