ngụ tình
Definition
- 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.)