ngọc kinh

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Imperial capital: The primary and most important city of an empire, where the emperor's palace and central government are located. This is an archaic or literary term.
   • The capital city: Refers specifically to the royal capital in a historical Vietnamese context.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Thăng Long xưa là ngọc kinh của nước Đại Việt. (Thang Long was once the imperial capital of Dai Viet.)
  • Nhà vua và triều đình sống ở ngọc kinh. (The king and his court lived in the imperial capital.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "ngọc kinh" is used almost exclusively in historical, literary, or poetic contexts to evoke the grandeur and centrality of the ancient capital. It is not used for modern capitals.

Variants and Related Words

• Kinh đô (n): capital city. This is the more common and modern synonym.
  • Hà Nội là kinh đô của Việt Nam. (Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam.)
• Kinh thành (n): capital city, often implying the citadel or fortified area of the capital.
  • Kinh thành Huế rất rộng lớn. (The Hue Citadel is very vast.)

Synonyms

• Imperial capital
• Royal capital
• Seat of the empire

Related Idioms

• "Ngọc kinh thạch các": A classical four-word idiom meaning "jade capital, stone pavilions," used to describe the magnificent and solid architecture of the imperial capital.