sơn thuỷ
Definition
Noun:
- Landscape (specifically mountains and water): A classical and poetic term referring to natural scenery, particularly the harmonious combination of mountains and bodies of water (rivers, lakes, streams). It evokes a sense of picturesque beauty and is central to traditional East Asian landscape art and philosophy.
- Nature; a scenic site: More broadly, it can refer to a beautiful natural site or the general concept of natural scenery.
Noun (in compound phrases):
- A remote or secluded place: When used in certain idioms, it implies a place far away, at the ends of the earth, where the mountains and waters run out.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Bức tranh này vẽ cảnh sơn thuỷ hùng vĩ. (This painting depicts a majestic mountain-and-water landscape.)
- Họ thích du lịch đến những vùng sơn thuỷ hữu tình. (They like to travel to charming, scenic natural places.)
- Công ty anh ấy đặt trụ sở ở một nơi sơn cùng thuỷ tận. (His company's headquarters is located in a very remote, out-of-the-way place.)
Advanced Usage
- "sơn thuỷ hữu tình": A set phrase meaning "a charming/picturesque/romantic landscape." It describes scenery that is not only beautiful but also evokes poetic and sentimental feelings.
- Vịnh Hạ Long là một danh thắng sơn thuỷ hữu tình. (Ha Long Bay is a scenic spot with a charming, poetic landscape.)
Variants and Related Words
- Phong cảnh (n): scenery, landscape (a more general, modern term).
- Thiên nhiên (n): nature.
- Danh lam thắng cảnh (n): famous scenic beauty spot.
Synonyms
- Scenery: The natural features of a landscape.
- Landscape: All the visible features of an area of land.
- Natural beauty: The aesthetic quality of nature.
Related Idioms
- Sơn cùng thuỷ tận: Literally "where the mountains end and the waters run out." It means a very remote, secluded, or inaccessible place; the back of beyond.
- Tìm mãi nơi sơn cùng thuỷ tận mới thấy. (I searched everywhere, even in the most remote places, before I found it.)