Definition

1. Noun:
   • Nightingale: A small, brownish songbird (family Muscicapidae, genus Luscinia), renowned for its beautiful, powerful, and melodious song, often heard at night.
   • Lark, Skylark: In Vietnamese common usage, "sơn ca" can also refer to birds in the lark family (Alaudidae), particularly the skylark, known for its singing while flying high in the sky.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Tiếng hót của con sơn ca thật du dương. (The nightingale's song is truly melodious.)
  • Trên cánh đồng, những chú sơn ca vừa bay vừa hót. (In the field, the skylarks are singing while flying.)
  • Cô ấy có giọng hát trong trẻo như sơn ca. (She has a clear singing voice like a nightingale.)

Advanced Usage

• "giọng sơn ca": A metaphorical phrase meaning a beautiful, clear, and melodious singing voice.
  • Nữ ca sĩ ấy được mệnh danh là có giọng sơn ca của rừng núi. (That female singer is said to have the nightingale voice of the mountains.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chiền chiện (n): A common Vietnamese name for the skylark, often used interchangeably with "sơn ca" in everyday language.
• Họa mi (n): Another songbird (the Hwamei or Melodious Laughingthrush), also noted for its song and sometimes compared to the nightingale in Vietnamese poetry and music.

Synonyms

• Nightingale: (specific to the genus).
• Skylark, Lark: (for birds in the Alaudidae family).
• Songbird: A general term for birds known for their singing.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Hót như sơn ca": To sing beautifully like a nightingale/skylark.
  • Em bé ấy hát hay, hót như sơn ca vậy. (That child sings so well, like a nightingale.)
• "Tiếng hót sơn ca": The song of a nightingale/skylark; often used poetically.
  • Tiếng hót sơn ca đánh thức cả khu rừng. (The nightingale's song awakened the whole forest.)

noun

1. nightingale