Definition

Noun: - (Archaic) Fine wine, exquisite wine, precious wine: An elegant, literary term from classical Vietnamese poetry and texts, used to describe wine of exceptionally high quality, often with connotations of rarity, beauty, and refinement. The term is poetic and evocative, not used in modern everyday speech.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Chén quỳnh tương ấm ắp bầu xuân. (The cup of exquisite wine brims with the essence of spring.)
  • Cùng bạn hiền nâng chén quỳnh tương. (To raise a cup of fine wine with a virtuous friend.)
  • Trong thơ cổ, quỳnh tương thường tượng trưng cho thú vui tao nhã. (In classical poetry, quỳnh tương often symbolizes elegant pleasures.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively found in literary, poetic, or highly formal classical contexts. It personifies wine as something beautiful (quỳnh) and nourishing (tương).
• It is used to elevate the act of drinking, associating it with scholarly refinement, friendship, and appreciation of the finer things in life, rather than mere intoxication.

Variants and Related Words

• Rượu ngon (n): Good wine. (Modern, common term)
• Tửu (n): Wine, liquor. (Literary/classical term, broader than )
• Mỹ tửu (n): Fine wine, delicious wine. (Another classical/literary synonym)

Synonyms

• Rượu quý: Precious wine.
• Rượu thượng hạng: Top-grade wine.
• Tửu ngon: Fine wine (literary).

Notes on Meaning

• The primary and only meaning is an archaic, poetic term for high-quality wine. It does not refer to a specific type or brand of wine but to the abstract concept of exquisite drink.
• The word is a compound noun where "quỳnh" (a type of precious jade or a beautiful flower) and "tương" (a nourishing liquid, broth) combine to create a metaphor for superb wine.

noun

1. (old) good wine