nhất tự
Definition
Noun:
- The character "nhất": Refers specifically to the Chinese character "一" or its Vietnamese Nôm equivalent, meaning "one" or "first". It denotes the character itself as a written symbol.
- The horizontal stroke "一": In calligraphy or character writing, it refers to the fundamental horizontal stroke, often the first stroke learned.
Noun (figurative):
- A basic principle or fundamental element: Used metaphorically to indicate the most elementary, essential, or first rule of something.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- Trong thư pháp, "nhất tự" là một nét cơ bản. (In calligraphy, the "nhất tự" is a basic stroke.)
- Ông ấy dạy tôi viết chữ "nhất tự" đầu tiên. (He taught me to write the character "nhất" first.)
Noun (figurative):
- Lòng thành kính là "nhất tự" của đạo làm con. (Filial piety is the first principle of being a child.)
Advanced Usage
- This term is primarily used in literary, scholarly, or calligraphic contexts. It is not common in everyday spoken language.
Variants and Related Words
- Nhất (数): The numeral "one" or "first".
- Chữ nhất (名): Another way to say "the character for 'one'".
Synonyms
- The character for "one": The written symbol.
- Basic stroke: Referring to its calligraphic form.
- Fundamental rule: Referring to its metaphorical meaning.
Related Idioms
- "Nhất tự thiên kim" (一字千金): A proverb meaning "one word is worth a thousand pieces of gold," highlighting the immense value of precise wording or a single character. While the full idiom is Chinese, it is understood in learned Vietnamese contexts.
- Lời hứa của ông ấy là "nhất tự thiên kim". (His promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold per word.)