Definition

Noun: 1. Fatherland; homeland; country: A poetic and emotional term referring to one's native land, encompassing its natural landscape (mountains and rivers) and evoking a deep sense of belonging, patriotism, and love. 2. Scenic landscape of mountains and waters: Refers to the natural beauty of a place, specifically its hills/mountains and rivers/streams. This meaning emphasizes the physical geography.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Fatherland):
  • Anh ấy luôn nhớ về non nước quê hương. (He always remembers the fatherland of his homeland.)
  • Tình yêu non nước là truyền thống quý báu của dân tộc. (Love for the homeland is a precious tradition of the nation.)
• Noun (Scenic landscape):
  • Nơi đây có non nước hữu tình. (This place has a picturesque landscape of mountains and waters.)
  • Chúng tôi đi tham quan thắng cảnh non nước. (We went to visit the scenic spot of mountains and rivers.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is highly literary and poetic. It is commonly used in poetry, songs, formal speeches, and patriotic contexts to evoke strong national sentiment.
• It often appears in the fixed phrase "giang sơn non nước" (rivers and mountains, fatherland) to comprehensively refer to the sovereign territory and the emotional concept of the nation.

Variants and Related Words

• Nước non (noun): A synonym with the same two meanings (fatherland; scenic landscape). The order "non nước" is more common.
• Quê hương (noun): Homeland, native land. This is a more common, everyday term compared to the poetic "non nước".
• Tổ quốc (noun): Fatherland, motherland. A solemn and official term, similar in patriotic weight to "non nước" but less focused on the physical landscape.
• Sơn thuỷ (noun, from Chinese root): Literally "mountain-water", used to describe landscape painting or natural scenery.

Synonyms

• Tổ quốc: Fatherland.
• Quê hương: Homeland.
• Đất nước: Country (a very common and general term).
• Giang sơn: Rivers and mountains (territory, often in a poetic/formal context).

Related Idioms

• (Tình yêu) non nước: (Love for the) fatherland. A common phrase denoting patriotism.
• Non nước hữu tình: A picturesque/romantic landscape (of mountains and waters).

noun

1. fatherland